To Live and Learn
by nycorrall
Summary: Lancer's routine life is disrupted the day a snowy-haired, green-eyed ghost falls from the sky, bringing with her the perils and enigmas of ghosts, humans, and everything in between. Meanwhile, forewarned of Vlad's plans, Danny frantically begins his search for Danielle while struggling to find a cure for the last person on earth he expected to save. Revelations: Book 3.
1. Happenstance

1\. Happenstance

Dark clouds that occasionally flickered with light rolled across the sky, rapidly consuming the sunlight.

Darkness spread over Amity Park; thunder rumbled loudly.

Despite the dark weather, teenagers chattered animatedly, laughing jovially as they poured out of the school.

They always seemed to be buzzing with energy.

Soon the school would be desolate, and the children would likely remain indoors, watching movies or playing video games while the rain poured outside.

Lancer heaved a weary sigh as he tossed his bag into the car. It landed carelessly on the passenger seat.

The dark blue 1990 Volvo sank under his weight. He turned the key, but something was wrong with the ignition, so it took three more tries before the old car sputtered to life.

Lancer had to hurry. His car didn't fare well in bad weather, and he didn't want to be caught in the storm and stranded on the side of the road again.

Summer was only two weeks away. He hadn't been keeping track of the money he'd put in his savings, but he was certain there was more than enough to buy a new car.

No vacation this year. He had already signed up for summer classes, even though the principal had already assured him that it wasn't necessary.

Lancer was long overdue for a vacation.

The teacher eased his car out of the parking lot and immediately hit the road.

It was a twenty-minute drive to his house, but, if he sped, then he could make it in fifteen, maybe ten minutes. He had rarely seen a cop on the road that led to his house, but one could never be too sure, so he kept to the regular speed.

He had nothing else planned for the day, so he could anticipate curling up by the fireplace and re-reading _Farenheit 451_ or _Heart of Darkness_.

Water pellets began to crash against his car's windshield and Lancer sighed. 'Well,' he thought, 'maybe now I won't have to get that much needed carwash.'

His stomach rumbled loudly, earning a grimace from Lancer.

He decided to pull into Dina's Diner, a small restaurant near his home.

He parked his car and ran out into the rain, which had already gone from a light drizzle to a heavy shower.

He released an exasperated groan when he read the sign on the door.

'Sorry, we're closed!'

"Of coure," Lancer muttered angrily. "Just my luck. I forget my lunch, I forget my umbrella, spill coffee on my shirt, and now this."

The man stood in front of the restaurant, waiting for a moment before deciding to head back to his car.

Across the street, stood a gasoline store, but Lancer wasn't in the mood for chips and soda; however, there was a convenience store just down the road, and they would certainly have some of those 5-minute microwaveable dinners there.

He was thinking pasta. "Yes," he muttered to himself, "some pasta would be nice."

The thought made him quicken his pace and rush to his old car. When he finally managed to haul open the creaky door, a loud 'boom' made him drop the keys on the ground in surprise.

That did not sound like thunder, Lancer knew, so what was that noise?

Another boom and a bright flash of violet light somewhere in the near distance.

Lancer instinctively ducked his head, just as a white and black blur shot past him.

Thunder rumbled, and the rain fell heavier.

It was getting harder to discern any sounds above the loud storm.

Lancer breathed. After a few moments of silence, Lancer peeked out from behind the car.

There, lying just on the side of the road was a body.

Black and white suit, silver hair, unearthly green glow.

"Danny Phantom," Lancer breathed.

He glanced around the vicinity, but there was no one else in sight. "Of course, only I would be standing outside in the pouring rain, all by myself, a few feet away from a powerful ghost."

Lancer peered into his car, debating over whether or not he should leave behind the ghostly teen hero or offer some help.

Lancer rolled his eyes at himself.

'Danny Phantom's a ghost. He can't get hurt. I can't fight. I'm a mere human. What kind of help could I possibly have to offer?'

But Lancer forced himself to look back up at the figure that had fallen from the sky. There was no movement from him whatsoever.

Concern immediately gripped him, and the old teacher quickly made up his mind.

He scurried across the road, pausing only to briefly check for oncoming cars.

There were none.

He fell to his knees beside the body, and he hesitantly poked it.

"Hello?" He shouted over the roaring rain. "Mr. Phantom? Mr. Phantom, are you okay?"

He nudged the body more forcefully and finally received a reaction.

He sucked in a breath.

Glowing green eyes wearily peered up at him through half-lidded eyes.

It seemed Lancer's assumptions were incorrect.

"You're-you're not the ghost boy!"

The young girl groaned in response. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

The child couldn't have been more than twelve or thirteen years old.

And, though she was clearly not human, he noticed a nasty purple-ish bruise forming on her otherwise colorless cheek. She had a deep wound over her left brow, and her bottom lip was swollen and bloody. Her suit was torn in some areas, and blood was flowing from her ears.

Lancer looked her over, horrified by her condition.

The girl coughed violently but eventually managed to gasp out some words. "Don't—don't let 'im take me. Don't lettim."

Her weak voice squeezed at Lancer's heart. He didn't know what to do.

Call nine one one?

Take her to the hospital?

But then what would they do to her? He was certain no human doctor could help her.

And, if he did take her to a medical facility, would they lock her up in some secret government facility?

He'd read enough books to know that that could very well happen.

And who was this ghost afraid of? Another ghost? A government agent?

The sound of a man shouting in the distance reached Lancer's ears.

The girl tensed up and grabbed Lancer's shirt. Tears leaked out of her eyes.

"Nononononono," she whispered. Her eyelids seemed to be drooping. She was struggling to remain conscious. "Don't lettem get me. Don't lettem get me."

Something stirred in Lancer.

Sympathy moved him to help.

The instinct to protect reigned.

"Don't worry," Lancer muttered. "I'll help you."

He scooped the girl up in his arms, desperately hoping he wasn't further injuring her in doing so, and ran to his car.

He quickly placed her in the backseat, then picked up his keys and moved to sit behind the steering wheel.

He jammed the key into the ignition and turned it.

Mercifully, the car rumbled to life on the first try.

He stepped on the gas and sped out into the road, ignoring the speed limit signs for once in his life.

His house was several miles away from the city, located further out in the country.

It was a small, two-bedroom, one-bathroom, brick house, which he had bought at a great price. His nearest neighbor was thirty minutes away, which was perfect because he actually enjoyed the solitude.

Fortunately, there would be no nosy neighbors to wonder why he was bringing a young, glowing, ghost girl into his house.

He carried the unconscious girl into the house and placed her on the couch.

The girl was freezing and surprisingly solid to the touch.

He wasn't sure if that was normal for a ghost, so he turned on the heater and flicked on the lights.

When Lancer came back to the child, he was astounded.

Besides the silver hair, she looked extremely human. In fact, she looked like a beaten up human kid.

He shifted uncomfortably.

Lancer had never imagined being put in this situation.

Sure, he imagined that perhaps, as a teacher, he would encounter some bruised children. He imagined having to deal with rude parents, and he had dealt with children who came from dysfunctional homes, drug addicts, violent boys, impudent teens.

But having to care for a battered ghost who looked remarkably like the famous (or infamous) Amity Park superhero?

Never crossed his mind.

And, to think, someone had clearly done this to her.

What kind of sick person had the audacity to do this to a _child?_

In the midst of his musings, Lancer caught sight of something that he knew _for a fact _was not normal for ghosts.

The terrifyingly slow rise and fall of her chest.

A knew fear struck Lancer.

Could she die?

**A/N: This idea has been bouncing around in my head since before I finished writing Like Father, Like Son.**

**I'm glad to finally have this chapter posted!**

**Reviews, please?**


	2. Unstable

2\. Unstable

A cruel laughter came from seemingly everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Vlad's sadistic smile emerged from the darkness. His cold, midnight blue eyes burned into her, occasionally flickering to a glowing scarlet.

A cold hand wrapped around her throat. A knife gleamed overhead, and then it rushed at her.

Danielle screamed at the top of her lungs, thrashing and kicking, even as she was thrown out of unconsciousness.

"Hey, stop! Stop!"

The frantic, unfamiliar voice yanked the girl back into reality. Her eyes snapped open, and she leapt into a sitting position.

She was in a house, which she immediately recognized as 'not Vlad's but not Danny's.'

Danielle's focused shifted to an older, balding, slightly overweight man looming over her.

Fear immediately took over and she shrank back, pulling the blanket up to her chin.

"Oh, I'm sorry I startled you." He replied. His teal eyes seemed to radiate with genuine apology. "My name is Jonathon Lancer. I found you out in the middle of the road. You were hurt, and I wasn't sure what to do with you, so I just brought you here." He paused, offering her an uncertain smile. "To my humble abode."

Danielle narrowed her eyes cynically. He appeared to be a kind enough man that posed no threat to her.

Then again, she thought, experience had taught her that she was a terrible judge of character.

"So, miss, uh-" Lancer paused. "What should I call you?"

Danielle straightened up, feeling slightly less intimidated.

"Dani," she replied in a soft but audible voice. "Dani with an 'i.'"

"Interesting." Lancer muttered, with a sigh of relief. A friendly smile stretched across his face. "I suppose you must be a relative of Danny Phantom?"

Danielle said nothing, so he continued. "I, uh, I made some cinnamon tea. Would you like some?"

The girl's hesitation lasted a few minutes. Finally, she nodded slowly. Her muscles slowly relaxed. "Yes, please."

The man strode back into the kitchen and grabbed two mugs.

Meanwhile, Danielle let her gaze wander.

There were no pictures on the walls. Only three paintings: one of a valley, one of the setting sun, and one of a rose.

Danielle blinked in awe.

The paintings were simple but extremely detailed and lovelier than anything she had seen.

At a glance, anyone could have easily mistaken the portraits for photographs.

Her attention wandered to the rest of the room. There was a brown and beige loveseat across from her, near the kitchen.

There were two couches—one leaning against the wall and the one she was sitting on.

In the center of the room, there was a miniature wooden table with two remotes on it, likely one for the television and the other for stereo, which were set up in the front of the living room, beside the door.

The sound of raindrops tapping against the window came from behind her.

A peek through the curtains revealed a light storm outside; however, the day seemed to have already brightened significantly, and it wasn't pouring, as it had been earlier.

The dark clouds were already scattering away, allowing the brilliant sun to smile down at Amity Park.

The parking lot was empty except for an old, blue dilapidated car. Lush greenery surrounded the house, leading Danielle to guess that they were somewhere out of the city and in the country.

"Well, here's the tea. I brought some honey, in case you wanted to put some in it." Lancer placed a tray in front of her and set down their teas in it. Her mug was white with the words "A little bit of joy for your day" printed across it, in colorful letters.

Lancer's was a simple blue mug.

He pulled up a chair and took a seat beside her.

"I know you," she realized.

"You do?" Lancer blinked, surprised.

"You're a teacher at Casper High, right?" Danielle took a tentative sip of her drink, relieved that she wasn't staying in the house of a _complete_ stranger.

"Teacher and vice principal." Lancer confirmed. His eyes narrowed slightly. "Have you been to Caper High before, Miss Dani?"

Danielle shrugged, taking another sip of her tea before answering. "I've only been there once or twice, but I remember seeing you there."

"Hm," Lancer nodded, pensive. He focused on her again. "I'm assuming Dani is short for something?"

Dani nodded. "Danielle. Some people call me Ellie, but I prefer Dani."

"Right," Lancer cleared his throat. "Listen, Danielle. Would you like to explain to me what exactly happened to you?"

Danielle shifted uncomfortably. A cold feeling rose up from her core.

Relaying all the events of the last few hours—or was it days?—was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Danielle," Lacer began, softly, "I saw you fall from the sky. You were scared and shaking. You were badly wounded; although, it seems like most of your injuries are gone now."

Lancer paused. Danielle began shivering. The cold was spreading throughout the rest of her body. The temperature rapidly dropped.

"I understand why you may not want to speak with me. It's okay if you don't."

It was then a thought struck Danielle with so much force it left her stupefied.

Lancer wrinkled his nose, concerned. "Danielle? Are-are you alright? You're lips are looking a little blue."

"It's cold," she exhaled, eyes widening in realization.

"What?" Lancer queried, tilting his head to the side. "But I put the heater-"

Without warning, Danielle leapt off the couch and tossed the blanket aside. "It's cold!"

She ran past Lancer and curled her fingers around the knob.

She paused for a few seconds, noticing frost spread over the golden handle.

Before she left, she heard the educator clamor out in bewilderment. "What?!"

A warm wind hit her the moment she stepped out. The sun was shining brightly, sending its heat down to the Earth.

The ground was puddled with water left behind by the rain.

The rain had completely dissipated; it was well over eighty degrees outside.

That didn't seem to stop the icy cold from escaping Danielle's body.

Ice frosted beneath her footsteps, and the more she ran, the more ice spread across Lancer's still wet parking lot.

The last of the cold finally escaped Danielle and settled on the surrounding vegetation.

Ice crawled across trees and settled on the moist grass, giving Lancer's country home a crystalline look.

Danielle skid to a stop, struggling not to slip on the ice she had created.

A cry erupted from somewhere behind. She spun to see Lancer sliding across the frozen floor before falling facedown on the ground a few steps away from Danielle.

The sight would've normally earned a roaring laughter from Danielle, but her guilt drowned out all the humor.

"Mr. Lancer! Are you okay?"

"_Jack Frost!_" Lancer cried out, getting up on all fours. "What on earth is it with this sudden temperature change?"

Danielle bent down to help the man straighten up. "I'm sorry. That's my fault. My powers...I couldn't keep the cold in." She ran a hand through her bangs, exasperated.

Tears of frustration sprang into her eyes. She angrily wiped them, feeling pathetic for crying in front of someone she barely knew.

"My powers are totally out of control," Danielle hiccupped. "And I ruined your front lawn."

She held out her hand and helped Lancer to his feet.

He rested his hands on his knees and took a breath. "Don't worry," he replied, straightening up. "It's not like I'm trying to impress anyone with my yard."

He chuckled and pat her head. "Besides, the ice'll melt eventually."

"Actually, there's a 50-50 chance it'll melt." Danielle admitted, sheepishly. "Sometimes my ice doesn't melt unless I will it to. And I'm not sure if I can do that right now."

"What?" Lancer blinked. He wiped his forehead. "Oh, well. We can worry about that later." Teal eyes swiveled to her. "How about we go back inside?"

"I can't."

Her response surprised him. "Why not?"

"Didn't you hear me? My powers are out of control."

Lancer seemed genuinely befuddled. "So?"

"So, I could seriously hurt you! Or worse." She bit her lip.

She hadn't killed anyone yet, and she had no intention of starting now.

"You can't leave." Lancer pointed out. "Where will you go?"

"I'll go to-" she paused.

She already knew exactly where she would go. There was only one person in the whole world she trusted with all her heart.

She knew the professor was a smart man. One mistake and he'd easily uncover the truth.

"I'll think of some place to go." She replied, vaguely.

"Danielle, you cannot leave without having some sort of premeditated plan."

"I do have a prementitate plan," Danielle replied. "I'm going to Fentonworks."

"Premeditated," Lancer corrected. "And the Fentons are ghost hunters."

"So?" Danielle countered. "They're ghost hunters with a gajillion gadgets. Like I said, my powers are on the fritz. They'll probably have something that'll fix me."

"You can't trust them! They're _ghost hunters. _As in, they _hunt ghosts._"

"But they're the only ones who have the stuff to help me. I don't actually have to talk to them. Just...you know, borrow some stuff."

Lancer's jaw ticked. His eyes hardened. "Are you _actually _suggesting _theft_? No. Absolutely not."

When he spoke, it was with an authority and conviction that made Danielle hesitant to disobey.

"You can't make me," Danielle retaliated.

Lancer opened his mouth then closed it. His eyes widened, and she could see he was struggling to find a response.

But she was right, and they both knew it.

In an attempt to prove her point, the youngest hybrid turned her back to him. She took a running start then jumped.

She steadily began to ascend. Weightlessness kept her afloat and, for a moment, Danielle thought she was free of the teacher.

She had gotten as far as several feet away from Lancer when gravity returned and yanked her back to the ground.

She stumbled and rolled across the ground, earning several cuts and bruises in the process.

Her gaze landed on the sky the moment she stopped rolling.

This wasn't good.

Even if she did somehow manage to regain flight, how far would she get before falling to the ground again?

If she flew too high, there was the chance that she'd fall out of the sky and break something or worse.

If she floated close to the ground, she'd risk being seen by a human or one of Vlad's goonies.

She huffed and grit her teeth in annoyance. "Why can't my powers just work when I want them to?"

The girl pushed her elbows against the dirt and rose to her feet.

Lancer studied her quietly.

She pursed her lips and crossed her arms.

Danielle felt her heart sink in despair. She was desperate to see Danny.

Fear had been plaguing her since she escaped Vlad's lab.

Safety had seemed like an impossible fantasy just two days ago.

Even now that she was free from the fruitloop's grasp, she _still _had a lot to travel before reaching Danny and no way of getting there, meanwhile Vlad was likely hunting for her.

Disappointment and melancholy crashed through her as the hopelessness of the situation sank in.

Her emotions must've been written across her face because Lancer gave her a sympathetic gaze.

"I'm sorry, Danielle. I truly am."

Danielle followed Lancer as he led them back to his quaint abode.

"Mr. Lancer?" Danielle began after a long moment of silence.

The teacher raised his brow questioningly.

She cleared her throat. "I'm hungry."

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

**A/N: My apologies for the late update. New semester is just around the corner and I figured I should update before then.**

**Feedback is always appreciated!**


	3. Inquiries

3\. Inquiries

To say Danielle was hungry was a severe understatement.

The girl raided out his refrigerator, consuming everything but the soymilk and the green peas.

Lancer didn't have very much to begin with, so he took her a nearby buffet.

It was cheap and ...

And he was severely astonished.

He had told her to help herself to whatever she wanted.

And now he was watching her ingest abnormally large quantities of food.

He'd assumed after the fifth serving of food she'd be full, but she continued shoving forkfuls of meat into her mouth.

Lancer wondered if she burned a lot of calories, but that couldn't be possible.

Ghosts didn't have calories.

He voiced his thoughts. "I thought ghosts didn't eat."

Danielle stopped eating abruptly and gave him a look that made him feel like an imbecile.

"How would _you _know?" Dani queried, shoving noodles into her mouth.

"Well," Lancer began sheepishly. "I've listened to Jack Fenton's ghost rants on more than one occasion."

She flashed him a questioning look.

"He's the parent of two of my students and also an expert on ghosts." Lancer didn't mention his uncertainty of the Fenton's expertise. "Anyways, I've also gathered a smidgen of information from personal research."

"Uh-huh," Danielle replied, rolling her eyes. "If you _must_ know ghosts don't really need to eat. Some do but never out of necessity. They don't get hungry like humans do."

"But you told me you were hungry," Lancer pointed out.

"There's always an exception to the rule."

Lancer managed to hide his frustration. He didn't like not knowing.

He wanted answers, and the girl was being very vague and providing more questions than answers.

A million questions flooded through his mind. He hoped if he kept asking, he'd eventually get some answers.

He decided to go for the question that most begged for a response.

"Do ghosts breathe?"

"No." Danielle responded immediately. "They can inhale and exhale, so they can sigh or blow out air. But it takes a lot of concentration on their part, and they absolutely do not have to breath. No ghost ever bothers to try it either. Breathing is no longer an issue the moment one becomes a member of the undead population."

"But you breath," Lancer noted. "And it's not, as you say, forced, like other ghosts. I saw you do it when you were unconscious. Which means it is _not_ a conscious action for you."

The girl froze for a millisecond then recovered so quickly Lancer almost doubted having made the observation.

She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Which means you have mortality," Lancer deduced. "Like a human."

He held his breath, waiting for a response.

"That's for me to know and you to never find out." Danielle flashed him a cheeky smile and continued eating.

Lancer sighed and rubbed his temples.

He had already formed a conclusion: this ghost was very human.

He didn't know how it was possible or even if it was possible, but that what his best bet.

He'd hung around her long enough to recognize those irrefutable human qualities.

Maybe her death was so recent that, as a ghost, she hadn't completely lost her human qualities.

Or maybe she hadn't died.

Or maybe she hadn't died _completely_, like any other ghost.

Maybe her death was only a partial death.

It was possible, he figured.

And considering the information she had given him, it was probably the latter.

His gaze drifted away from her face, drawn to a familiar logo branded proudly on her chest.

A curious thought floated into Lancer's head.

"So, you're Danny Phantom's cousin."

The spoon's route came to a sudden halt just centimeters from her mouth.

The girl remained in a frozen position for several seconds.

Her immobility made Lancer uncomfortable.

"I mean, that much is evident. The resemblance is uncanny." He paused. "So you must be relatives. Probably siblings. Am I right?"

Danielle snapped out of her stupor immediately.

She slammed her fork on the table earning curious glances from the few customers present.

No one stared, much to Lancer's relief. They probably just assumed a teenage daughter was overreacting towards a parental authority.

She leaned forward and balled her hands into fists.

She ripped the sunglasses off her face, so that her glowing green glare was aimed directly at him.

"I am not talking about Danny," she hissed. "You think you can weasel information out of me? Find out his strengths? His weaknesses? You can forget it. If you really want to know, Ask. Him. Yourself."

The girl remained standing for a few moments before she thrust her glasses back on. She sank back into her chair and took a few calming breaths.

Lancer swallowed. She couldn't have made it any clearer that the 'Danny Phantom' subject was completely off limits, which only served to make Lancer all the more curious.

He reluctantly buried away the inquisitiveness. He didn't want to push Danielle, though she made it aggressively clear that, even if he did press for more answers, her lips were sealed.

He needed to let her know he respected her privacy.

"I'm sorry," he finally said.

Danielle peered over her sunglasses at him. It seemed as if she were gauging whether or not he was being honest.

"It's okay," she sighed, sheepish. "Sorry, if I scared you."

"No, you didn't." Lancer smiled.

"It's just-" Danielle picked up her fork and played with the food on her plate. "I've betrayed my cousin twice already. Once because I was made to believe I had no other option, and the second time because I was gullible enough to believe his enemy. Both those times I was being manipulated, so I kind of freaked out when you mentioned Danny who, by the way, is the last person on earth who deserves that."

"I understand, believe me." Lancer sighed, suddenly reminiscent.

A sudden melancholy surged into his heart. Unwanted memories resurfaced. "I've had a few problems with betrayal, as well."

"Did you betray someone you cared about?" Danielle queried.

"Yes."

Danielle remained quiet for a while. When she finally spoke, her response surprised him. "If someone really, truly cares about you, they'll forgive you eventually."

She scooped up another forkful of noodles and shoveled it into her mouth.

A small smile lit up her face.

And then the ground shook.

**A/N: Chapter finally completed.**

**Yay!**

**Anywho, let me know what you thought of this chapter.**

**As I've said, feedback and reviews are always appreciated. ;) **


	4. Empathy

4\. Information

There weren't very many people in the diner, which Danielle found to be extremely fortunate: less people meant fewer casualties.

The wall nearest them exploded, debris flew everywhere. People ducked out of the way then screamed and scattered off towards all the available exits.

Lancer seemed too stunned to move.

Dani grabbed his forearm and willingly made them both intangible, so that an unusually large chunk of the yellow wall flew harmlessly through them.

Dropping the intangibility, she tugged Lancer away from the potential danger and shoved him under a table farthest from the newly-made hole in the building.

A coyote slinked in through the gaping wall, a wicked grin revealed its many fangs.

Danielle lifted her fists and shifted into a defensive stance.

Hearing the animal speak shouldn't have been surprising.

Most of the animal spirits she'd encountered did not possess the ability to verbally communicate. The few that could had either raspy or hoarse voices, and—depending on the species—generally sounded either unusually high-pitched or extremely baritone.

This animal, however, spoke in a clear, human-like voice.

His words were articulate and enunciated.

Words that could only belong to an educated man.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Danny Phantom's cousin." The ghost sneered, baring its fangs. "And all along I thought you were nothing but a rumor created by Vlad's lackies."

"I consider myself lucky to have been able to catch a whiff of your scent here. The rain made it nearly undetectable, and it's practically indistinguishable to Daniel's. Kept getting the damn scents mixed up."

"You know Danny?" Danielle bit her lip, suddenly daunted.

Danny had many enemies, and she was certain she was nowhere near prepared to engage in a one-on-one battle against any one of Danny's more formidable enemies.

"Yes," the coyote grinned, "I would say I'm quite acquainted with your cousin."

He sat on his haunches and waved a paw in the air—a very human gesture, Danielle noticed.

Perhaps, she thought, this wasn't the ghost of an animal.

To confirm her theory, the ghost morphed into his human form.

Danielle felt her intimidation quickly disintegrate.

The man was short—shorter than she was. He was gray-haired and had a laughable mustache perched over his mouth. His tuxedo only served to demean his apparent villainy. He smirked up at her with a look that was supposed to be a menacing confidence.

Danielle suppressed a snicker at the squat man's form.

"Oh, enough about your cousin." The man smiled, patiently. "I'm here for _you_."

"Me?"

"There's a bounty on your head. Plasmius will greatly reward anyone who catches Danny Phantom's inexperienced cousin." He grinned. "I, for one, would definitely benefit from that reward. Now, you can come willingly, or I can just take you by force."

"Hmm," Danielle made a show of mulling over her options. A smirk lit up her face. "No, thanks, tubby. I think I'll stay right here."

The man bared his teeth on hearing the word 'tubby' escape her brash mouth.

The man's form shifted again.

Short arms elongated into large, powerful wings. Feet twisted into thick, gnarled claws. Black talons glinted dangerously. His nose and mouth morphed into a sneering mandible.

Beady red eyes glared at Dani.

"Shit!"

The girl ducked past the abnormally large bird, taking the fight outside.

His immense size, however, prevented him from easily slipping into the outside. The bird flapped his wings angrily as he struggled to squeeze through the hole.

Danielle snatched up her opportunity and summoned energy from her core, focusing it on her hand.

The shifter burst through the hole.

Danielle's palm faced the approaching adversary.

She charged the energy and released it through her fingertips.

The ectoenergy swirled into a brilliant green sphere that hovered inches from her palm.

It was not the ecto ray she had been expecting.

"Well," she shook off her confusion and grit her teeth. "This'll have to do."

She raised a hand over her head and swung her arm, putting as much force into her throw as she could muster.

She hit the falcon directly in the face.

The collision caused the ecto ball to explode in the raptor's eyes, momentarily blinding it.

A squawk of astonishment emanated from its throat.

Two more glowing spheres appeared at her hands, though Dani had only wanted one.

"The hell?" She reflexively pulled her hands closer together and was pleasantly surprised to see the spheres conjoin into one larger globe with, Danielle approximated, a foot in diameter.

Its large size required her to use both hands to throw it.

The sphere landed and exploded on the recovering bird's chest. This time, the impact sent him sailing several feet.

His body collapsed by the restaurant's giant hole and reverted back to his original, human-like form.

He struggled to get on all fours.

Feeling triumphant, Danielle moved forward, once again conjuring her ghost energy, focusing it on her palms.

Horror washed over her when she found no ecto energy forming in her hands.

She glared at her hands, willing her powers to work but to no avail.

A quick glance around revealed nothing that could aid her in battle, which meant that she had no other option but to flee.

Danielle dashed past the ghost and leapt into the gaping hole.

She peered around the diner.

Relief flooded her when Mr. Lancer crawled out from beneath a table.

"That was impressive, Ms. Phantom." Lancer complimented, though he didn't seem too enthralled by the experience.

"Not impressive enough. He's still somewhat conscious." She grabbed him by the forearm and tugged him away from the still recovering, swaying ghost. "We gotta go. Now."

"Shouldn't you be capturing the ghost in that container Mr. Phantom carries around?" Lancer inquired between breaths.

He struggled to keep up with her.

"I don't have one!" She shouted over her shoulder, wishing not for the first time that she would have had the sense to snag a Fenton Thermos from her last visit to the Fenton household.

Danielle slowed her pace as Lancer jogged ahead of her to climb into the car.

She paused and risked a peek at the diner.

There was no movement to indicate any signs of life—or afterlife, but she was certain the short ghost was recovering somewhere in the rubble.

She turned and slid into the car after Lancer.

The teacher's old car sputtered to life. He hit the gas and sped away from the diner.

Danielle looked over her shoulder and stared at the eatery, watching as the quaint, beat-up building slowly shrunk until it was completely out of sight.

The girl settled back into her seat and bit her lip, guilt surging through her.

Once again, she'd brought disaster and chaos to a concordant place. The owner of the restaurant would likely have to invest in repairs, and Lancer probably wouldn't be able to return to his favorite diner for quite a while.

A long moment of silence passed before Lancer spoke.

The teacher bit his lip. "You said your powers short-circuited." Lancer began cautiously.

"Yeah," Dani sighed.

"May I ask what happened?" Lancer queried, cautiously.

"Danielle shifted in her seat. She was in a car with her original's teacher, unsure of where they were going. She felt hesitant. "I guess." She murmured then cleared her voice. "Uh, the guy that was hunting me down was trying to use a different version of the Ecto-Stoppo-Power-ifier on me."

"The...the what?" Lancer's eyes briefly flickered to Danielle.

"It's this weapon that short-circuits a ghost's powers by slowly removing them. He created a prototype weapon similar to it and decided I would be the first one to test it." She bit her lip. "I don't know exactly what he had expected his experiment to do but, judging by the look on is face, the results were disappointing."

She fell silent, recalling the memories but feeling hesitant about divulging any more information.

"Look, Danielle, I don't mean to pry, but I'd really like to know a little more of what happened to you."

Danielle met Lancer's eyes for a moment. The concern and compassion that radiated off of him was almost palpable.

She grimaced. She felt he was a trustworthy man, but recent occurrences had led her to realize she wasn't a good judge of character.

Then again, he was Danny's teacher, and she'd once overheard Danny admit he was a decent guy.

"You know," Lancer began, risking a glance at her, "talking about it really does help."

She shrugged. She'd neither lose anything nor endanger anyone by telling him what happened.

"He had me caged. Like an animal. I was out for a while, so I'm not sure what exactly he did. What I do know is that when he tried out the invention on me something went wrong. The device exploded, which must've pissed him off because he'd spent days working on it. Anyways, the explosion destroyed a part of the cage I was in and knocked him out. It was enough for me to escape. He was furious. I had already made it to Amity when...my kidnapper finally caught up to me. I was flying. The clouds were thick, and it was dark and stormy. There was lightning. I couldn't see anything ahead of me and didn't know which direction I was headed. I looked over my shoulder and saw him holding these portable speaker-looking they turned on, I heard this-this..." She paused, recalling those dreadful moments. " It sounded like a wailing. The noise was...terrible. Excruciating. I can't even explain how horrible it was. It felt like my ears were bursting. Like they were exploding. And there was this...this excruciating pain in my head. Like a knife was slicing into my brain. It was the worst experience of my life. Even worse than being a lab rat." Danielle paused. "I-I guess I fell and lost consciousness." She hugged her knees to her chest. "I don't even remember hitting the ground."

She took a moment to calm her racing heart.

He was the first one to speak. "And that's when I found you," Lancer deduced.

His eyes welled with sympathy, and, for a moment, Danielle thought she'd seen tears in his eyes.

But he blinked, the expression quickly disappearing as his face contorted into an expression of disgust. "What kind of hideous monster would do something like that to you?"

Danielle pressed her lips together and interlocked her trembling feelings.

Lancer glanced at her, his expression softening into sympathy.

Danielle sighed. "I just hope this is a temporary thing." She balled her hands into fists, digging her nails into her palms. "My powers are all messed up! They act up at random times, and they never work when or how I want them to. It's so frustrating!"

She felt a melancholy wash over her.

"I just want to go home," she whispered.

Lancer peered over at her but said nothing.

She was grateful for his silence.

Danielle kept to herself.

She stared at the window, losing herself in her thoughts.

She hadn't truly realized what she'd wanted until she said it.

She wanted a home to go to.

Her heart squeezed in pain.

She missed Danny.

It seemed to her that he was the only trustworthy person in her life.

He was her family. The only person she knew she could always count on. He'd made that blatantly clear.

Surely, he would have answers to her questions. Solutions to her problem.

Soon enough, she'd find her way back to him because he was the closest thing she had to a home.

:~:~:~:~:~:

Danny's foot caught on a vine.

Gravity took the opportunity to snatch his momentum and smash him against the ground.

"Danny, why can't you just admit you're lost?" Sam huffed in aggravation, crossing her arms over her chest.

Danny got up on all fours and scrambled to grab the map.

Sam snatched it up before he could.

He grit his teeth and leapt to his feet. "I'm not lost." He snatched the map from her hands, earning him a vexed scowl from the girl. "This map says he wants to meet up somewhere around here..."

Danny pulled his gaze from the incredibly well drawn map and glanced around the area.

He and Sam had been wandering around a jungle-like island called Wild, as the ghosts had dubbed it.

It was a place where strange and ferocious animals resided.

They'd only come across a few animals, and they were all strange and unlike anything Danny had ever seen before, but, at the same time, they all resembled beasts that dwelled in the human world.

They'd landed the Specter Speeder in a golden-green field inhabited by tawny-colored zebras with stripes that faded away about midway through their bodies.

Once they'd gotten deeper into the wilderness, they had barely managed to escape a pack of what almost resembled but didn't quite look like a pack of coyotes with stripes on their backs and long, thin tails.

Their confrontation with the strange, wild dogs had been particularly alarming

Danny had tried flying, but, as he had been forewarned, a ghost being in this island, along with most other areas of the Ghost Zone, was equivalent to a human in the human world.

No flight, no intangibility.

Fortunately, he still had his ecto rays and Sam had those weapons tucked in her tool belt, which served quite useful in fending off the coyote-like animals.

Danny had gotten lost some time after they had outrun the animals.

Another half hour passed with the pair traipsing around the woods and Danny struggling to recapture a sense of direction.

It hadn't taken Sam very long to figure out they were lost.

Danny huffed in frustration as he took another look at the map.

"Danny, just give me the map. I'm tired. I'm thirsty. My feet are hurting like crazy, and you don't look any better than I do. In fact, you look worse."

Danny blinked and shot her a look.

It was true. Danny was dripping with sweat from the blaring heat, and miniscule scratches were laced around his body. His body—like his torn hazmat suit—was still struggling to repair itself.

"You're right." Danny noticed, befuddled. "How come you're not all scratched up? We just came out of a huge mass of overgrown bushes that had thorns all over the freakin' place."

"I'm human." Sam smirked. "_I'm _the ghost in the Ghost Zone." She shrugged. "I just phased through everything."

Danny bit his lip in annoyance. "Are you _kidding_ me? I've been walking around in ghost form this whole time, and you're just _now _telling me I could've avoided all those cuts and bruises by reverting back?"

Sam folded her arms and struck him with a glare. "I was _going _to tell you until you told me that I couldn't read the map because," she deepened her voice in mock imitation of Danny's, "'a girl would only get us lost.'" She huffed, voice returning to normal. "On top of that, you won't tell me who we're looking for or why because _you're _scared I'll get mad. Your pride and refusal to admit we're lost is what got us in this mess in the first place."

Danny's cheeks flushed in anger and embarrassment.

The girl snatched the map from his hands.

He hissed. "Maybe if you would've just stayed behind like I told you-"

"Oh, please." Sam dropped her gaze to the map. "Since when do I listen to a word you say?"

She spoke after a few moments of studying the detailed drawing. "We need to turn that way." Sam pointed in the opposite direction of where they were headed.

"What? How would you know?" Danny peered at the map.

"See that blue line here? That's the creek we just passed." She moved her finger across the page. "That thicker line is the river. If we trail back and follow the creek, it'll lead us to the river then back up to the place we need to meet, here near a lake. It's not far."

Danny summoned the energy from his core and let the familiar, icy rings wash over his body.

"I knew that," Danny grumbled.

Sam scoffed. He voice dripped sarcasm. "_Right_."

She led the way. He begrudgingly trailed after her.

It was ironic, Danny thought. Sam knew which way to go, even though she had no idea where they were headed, or why. Danny knew exactly what their destination was but had no idea how to get there.

They walked in silence, slowly making their way to their destination.

Danny felt the tension dissolve as time passed.

Sam was the first one to speak.

She slowed down and fell into step beside him. Her amethyst eyes sparkled with curiosity and interest. "So, now are you gonna tell me who we're meeting?"

Danny remained silent a few moments. He knew she'd get mad once she found out who it was they were meeting.

He had been hoping she wouldn't have had to find out anytime soon.

In fact, he'd set off to go find this person on his own, notifying only Tucker of his whereabouts.

He had been in the lab, typing the coordinates into the Specter Speeder's GPS when Sam walked in.

Of course, once she'd realized where he was going, she immediately decided to tag along.

No amount of arguments could stop Sam from accompanying him on a trip to the the Ghost Zone, just like no amount of quarrels could stop her from prying answers out of the teenage hero.

"He's someone that...I reached out and contacted not too long ago. Someone I hired to act as a sort of spy. A, um, potential ally."

"Okay." Sam flashed him a quizzical look. "Then why would I be mad if this person's a possible ally?"

"Because..." Danny's voice trailed as he struggled to find the right words. "I'm not sure if he's...how would I put it?" Danny bit his lip. "Totally trustworthy."

"You're placing our trust on someone who's unreliable?" Irritation was already beginning to bleed into her voice. "But who-"

The goth cut herself off with a barely audible gasp.

Danny tipped his head to the side, befuddled by her abrupt silence.

Her attention had been diverted to something or, rather, someone else.

And Danny immediately found the reason for her stupefaction by following her line of vision.

A young ghost had emerged from beneath the shade of a large tree.

Snowy, untamed hair and ghostly white skin was contrasted by the black and white fabric of a hazmat suit.

The ghost was a nearly identical replica of Danny's ghost form.

The only difference, Danny noticed as the other ghost approached, was the ruby red flecks that appeared in the ghost's eerie green eyes.

"What...?" Sam once again found herself at a loss for words. Her bewildered gaze traveled back to Danny

"Hey, cut it out!" Danny snapped at his duplicate. "You're not supposed to be me. You're supposed to be you." He crossed his arms over his chest.

He blinked when the ruby red flecks in the doppelganger's eyes swirled around the irises until the radioactive green color was consumed by a brilliant red.

The other Danny spoke in a voice that was clearly not Danny's. "Oh, relax, Billy. I'm just having a little fun."

"Change back, Amorpho," Danny huffed, impatiently.

The other Danny smirked and his features began to shift, like soft clay being molded into a different shape.

The transformation occurred too quickly for Danny to even process it.

Danny Phantom instantly became a deathly pale, faceless man with a black and red fedora hat that matched his black overcoat, red tie, and red glasses.

"Oh," Sam breathed, the color returning to her face. "Amorpho."

"Yes. That is who I am." He cocked his head to the side and flew up to Sam. He sandwiched one of her hands between both of his. "And who might this lovely creature be?"

"Hey!" Danny bristled as Sam's face flushed a rosy pink. He jumped in front of her, slapping Amorpho's hands away. "Hands off."

Amorpho shrugged him off, leaning towards Sam. "Are you looking for Mr. Right?" His entire body shifted.

A cute brown-haired, green-eyed twenty-year-old man stood by Sam, a dazzling, pearly white smile shot her way. "Because, sweetheart, I can be anyone you want me to be."

As if to prove his point, Amorpho morphed again—this time changing into a handsome blonde with coquettish blue eyes.

"She's not interested," Danny stepped in front of her, eyes flashing green. "Remember, we're here on business."

"Where is here anyways?" Sam queried. "We've seen a lot of weird creatures here."

"The wild. It is a place where Spirit Animals reside. If a mass of any species is wiped out suddenly, their collective consciousness survives and manifests here."

"Can we forget the where and get back to _why_ we were here?" Danny snapped, irritated.

Amorpho peered over at an uncomfortably silent Sam. "Is Billy always this uptight?"

"My name's Danny," the teenager bit in annoyance. "Now, are you going to tell me what you've found out or not?"

"You want me to tell you everything? Right here, right now?" Amorpho's blue and red-flecked eyes flickered to Sam.

"Tell me everything." Danny confirmed.

"Alright," Amorpho's gaze focused on Danny. "Well, your friend hasn't been up to much. Mostly mayor business, obsessing over some redhead, and talking to his cat. Not really much of a life, if you ask me. However, he did disappear for a few days. Just dropped off the face of the Earth without so much as a word to anybody. When he came back, he was pretty pissed. Word has it he's placed a bounty on someone's head."

"Are you guys talking about Vlad?" Sam queried.

"After we rescued Aminah, Vlad told me he knew my weakness and that he'd use them against me."

"Yes, ma'am." Amorpho replied.

"Okay." Danny waved his hand, impatiently. "And how does this concern me?"

"Well, a lot of people are saying he's put a bounty on _your_ head." Amorpho replied. "But Vlad's lackies are saying he's hunting someone else."

"Well?" Danny all but shouted. "Who is it?"

"Your younger cousin. Dani Phantom."

"My-" Danny felt cold dread wash over him. "My cousin?"

"Anyways," Amorpho's blonde brows knit together. He fidgeted, uncomfortably. "Um, I've been trying to get closer to Vlad, like you told me, but it's hard, Billy. That man is as smart as he is scary."

"Keep trying," Danny ordered.

"I will," Amorpho vowed. "So long as you keep your end of the bargain."

"Don't worry." Danny bit back. "I will."

Amorpho grinned broadly. "Alright, then. I'll see you around."

He spun around and grasped Sam's hand, pressing his lips against her skin.

"And I will most definitely be seeing you again. After all, such magnetic beauty will attract me back to you."

Sam jerked her hand away, taken aback.

"Goodbye, friends." Amorpho smirked.

His form shifted and a fox gleamed back at them.

He turned tail and took off.

**A/N: Finally finished the chapter and got it up!**

**...**

**Although I probably should've revised it more thoroughly.**

**Anyway, I'll leave the reviewing to you guys.**

**Sorry for the long wait!**


	5. Concessions

5\. Escape

Lancer drummed his fingers on the table, patiently waiting for the milk to heat up.

He curiously peered up at his latest houseguest.

Danielle was rummaging through everything he owned. Her blue eyes twinkled with unhidden interest as she silently absorbed everything she saw.

The ghost—if that's what she truly was—drifted from his movies cabinet to the bookshelf where she pulled out an album.

The television was on. Channel 87 was playing a movie, although neither of the two was paying attention.

The girl smiled when she noticed him pouring hot cocoa into their mugs.

After nearly fifteen minutes of snooping, she finally plopped down on the couch.

Lancer stiffened when he recognized the album she had picked up.

He sighed and took a seat by her, handing her the mug.

She took a sip and turned to the first page, a wide smile lighting up her face.

Lancer scooted closer but tried to maintain a comfortable distance, so as to not make her uncomfortable.

The photo she had chosen to study held an image of Lancer when he was young, standing beside a face he hadn't seen in years.

"That picture was taken 1983," he explained. "I was a freshman in college."

"Is this you?" Danielle pointed to the man on the left.

"Yup. And that was my best friend, Quince. He was the cool guy. Tall, blonde, and popular."

Lancer studied the man he once was. He was quite attractive when he was young, with his dark hair and teal-almost-green eyes. Lanky and clearly geeky but still somewhat pleasant to look at.

"Hm," Danielle tilted her head to the side. "You're not ugly."

Lancer rolled his eyes but smiled in spite of himself. "How nice of you to say," he replied, sarcastically.

Her eyes skimmed over a few more pictures. Some were of him at parties or hanging out with friends.

She turned the page and stopped on a picture that caught her attention. "Whoa! Who's that?"

She pointed at an image of a twenty-one year old Lancer standing beside a woman with blonde hair and gray eyes.

"She's beautiful," Danielle commented.

"That was my college sweetheart." He swallowed. "Madison."

"Whoa," Danielle breathed, peering up at Lancer. "She was your girlfriend? How did _that_ happen?"

Lancer smiled, suddenly reminiscent. "I remember the first day I saw her. Quince had thrown a party after this game. When I saw her..." Lancer's voice trailed off. He knew he was being pulled back to that day, but, for once, he didn't mind reliving the past. "She had her hair pulled up and she was wearing a white dress. I remember momentarily mistaking her for an angel. I went up to her. She was conversing with a cheerleader, so, naturally, I was nervous. I wasn't the kind of person to socialize with the 'in' crowd, even though I had once been a cheerleader myself."

Danielle scoffed. "You were a cheerleader?"

"Don't interrupt," he replied. "We talked for a long time, even after her friend left. I don't remember what I said that she thought was so funny, but when I heard her laugh..."

He smiled. "Oh, that was it for me. I was head over heels in love."

"That's so sweet." Danielle's gaze fell back to the album.

She turned pages, peering over at the pictures of the couple.

"So, you guys went to the same school together?" Danielle queried.

"Yep." Lancer sighed. "I was double-majoring in Liberal Arts and Humanities, minor in History. After that, I went for a Masters in English Literature." He paused. "She was studying art. Good at it, too, although her family resented her for that."

"So, are those her paintings?" Danielle's eyes lifted to the beautiful portraits on the wall. "Yup." He smiled. "She loved painting. Sometimes she would just go out and paint for hours. Or she would sit and play the violin. Always outside, though. She loved the fresh air."

Danielle turned to the last page.

Madison was standing beside Lancer, one hand around his waist, the other resting over his heart, revealing a brilliant diamond ring.

Her eyes bulged. "You were engaged?"

"Yes." Lancer nodded. "The day I proposed was the most terrifying day of my life. By then, I had already come to realize she was my soul mate, but I was still taking a big risk asking. Her family absolutely despised me, and I couldn't compare to her ex-boyfriend—a lawyer her family wanted her to be with. Oh," Lancer's eyes twinkled, "but when she said yes, I was the happiest man in the world."

"What happened?" Danielle queried, curiously.

"Life," Lancer replied, simply.

A melancholy settled over his eyes, and he turned away from her.

Familiar memories began to flood through him, an emotional deluge that he'd been desperately trying to avoid for many years.

He clamped down on the sentiments and quickly diverted his attention back to the girl who was staring at him with sympathetic eyes.

"I suppose you would like to see where you will be resting for the night."

"Um, yeah. Right." Danielle nodded.

Her gaze fell back to the album, and she silently shut it.

He knew, intuitively, that she had recognized the pain in his eyes. He was grateful for her understanding but felt that this would not be the end of their heart-to-heart conversation.

Still, Lancer was not ready, nor was he capable of divulging his story without getting overemotional.

He rose to his feet and walked. Danielle followed.

He led her into another room.

The area was large compared to the other chambers in his house.

It had a single bed, a black dresser, and a matching nightstand.

The bed had black covers draped over it. Lovely, light blue designs reached up from the foot of the bedding and ended near the top. Black, white, and light blue pillows had been neatly tidied on the bed, untouched, as they had been for a long time.

A white lamp with blue designs on the lampshade sat on the nightstand.

A window remained hiding behind a pair of white and sky blue curtains that hadn't been opened in years.

He leaned against the doorframe as Danielle stepped in.

"This is a girl's room," the young ghost girl realized with a start.

Lancer once again felt the deluge swell up as he took in the sight of the room.

All he could manage to say was, "I have an extra toothbrush somewhere."

But Danielle wasn't listening.

She had noticed the design painted on the left wall: a few small flowers and butterflies had been intricately entangled into the lovely swirls.

The painting was the shade of sky blue that completed the room's color theme.

"Did your wife draw that?" She queried, turning to Lancer.

"Yes, she did. This was-"

Lancer cut himself off, incredulity wiping away all his overwhelming sentiments.

A blindingly bright, ephemeral flash of light appeared at Danielle's navel, expanding and contracting so quickly that Lancer had almost questioned its appearance.

Danielle winced, which caused Lancer to deduce that the brief flash of light had not been illusory.

She hunched over, arm curling around her abdomen.

"What was that?" Lancer breathed, still suffering from the shock that lingered in him.

He was surprised that this ghost still somehow managed to throw surprises at him.

"Uh," she breathed. "Nothing."

But it was clearly not nothing.

Danielle's lips were pressed together, and her brows were furrowed together.

She trembled just slightly.

Her body language clearly said that she was either under great strain or great pain.

Probably both, Lancer figured.

He opened his mouth to argue. "But-"

"Okay!" Danielle lunged forward, shoving him back with incredible strength.

She began closing the door.

Lancer blinked in surprise, but pushed his palm against the door, preventing her from blocking him out. "Wait! What-?"

She was so surprised that he'd actually attempted to stop her that she did, indeed, pause before closing the door.

He peered inside and met her startled gaze.

"Danielle-"

"Good night, Mr. Lancer!"

She pushed against him and slammed the door in his face.

Almost immediately, the same flash of light broke through the gap between the bottom of the door and the ground, casting a brief, dazzling light across the floor.

The sight startled him, and he pounded on the door.

"Miss Phantom! Are you okay?"

A long, terrifying moment passed before Danielle answered.

He heard her sigh from behind the door. "I'm fine, Mr. Lancer."

There was a certain tone in her voice that Lancer couldn't quite identify. Maybe fatigue or relief.

Whatever the case, Lancer believed her, but he was left reeling with questions, though he was quite certain he was not going to be receiving any answers from her, so he dropped the matter.

"Alright, then. Do-" He paused, exhaling. "Would you still like me to bring you that extra toothbrush?"

There was another moment of silence before she replied. "Yes, please."

He hesitated then turned and walked away from her room.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Everything had been going just fine until Danielle's powers decided to go on the fritz again.

The human-ghost hybrid had not been expecting the sudden outburst of energy that exploded at her core, from deep within her.

The energy outburst was, as always, accompanied by a familiar cold that erupted at her core. The white light disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

She shoved down the cold, struggling against the approaching, inevitable change.

She'd felt guilt lash at her for acting so curtly against Lancer, especially at a moment when his eyes had betrayed his vulnerability and sadness.

She'd slammed the door shut in his face, and the energy burst out before Danielle could do anything else.

The blinding white light sprung out. The rings swept across her, changing her appearance.

"Miss Phantom!" The voice queried worriedly from the other side of the door. "Are you okay?"

Fighting the transformation had been unbelievably difficult and painful, which was strange because her transformations had never hurt.

They'd always been harmless: a pleasantly cool, tingling sensation that washed through her.

But not this time.

She placed a hand on her head, overwhelmed with lightheadedness.

She leaned against the wall and waited a few moments to recompose herself, taking a steadying breath.

"I'm fine," she said, finally.

She brushed strands of raven locks away from her face and tucked them behind her ear.

"Alright, then." Lancer replied, though he sounded doubtful. "Do-would you still like for me to find you a toothbrush?"

Danielle peered at the door. "Yes, please." She replied after a moment.

She waited until she heard his footsteps departing before she released a breath of relief.

Danielle took the time to wander around the room.

There was a closet in the room. Opening it confirmed her presumption: empty.

The bathroom was empty, as well. There were no personal items to indicate a resident.

The interior of the desolate cabinets were coated in a thick layer of dust.

She opened an almost-but-not-quite transparent sliding glass door to peer into an empty shower.

She padded back into the room and looked through the dresser's drawers.

Empty.

Like everything else in the room.

Danielle was irked by her lack of findings.

Clearly, her temporary chamber was decorated for a girl with its feminine-styled sheets and pretty furniture.

Lancer's whole house was an enigma that left her with questions swirling around her brain.

Maybe, she thought, Lancer had a daughter.

The room seemed to validate her suspicions.

But, she hadn't seen any family pictures around the house, which is generally what people with families usually did—or, at least, that's what she assumed.

Danielle shook the thoughts from her head.

It had only been two days and already she was empathizing with the man.

For all she knew, Lancer was some freak who randomly kept a girly room because of some weird obsession.

Or he was some serial killer.

But something told her this was not the case.

She'd seen the pain in his eyes, the loss, and she found herself hoping that the conclusion she'd come to wasn't right.

If he'd had a wife and daughter who were not living with them, it could only mean one thing: he'd somehow lost them.

Danielle shook her head adamantly.

She didn't have time to deal with angst.

Determined to ignore her own empathetic emotions, she wandered over to the window, seeking a quiet method for departure.

The curtains' fabric were soft and thin. She pushed them aside to look up at the window.

The frame was wooden, simple, but a quick glance through the glass revealed rotting wood, no doubt because of the rainy season Amity had been going through.

The window itself was big enough for a person to climb through.

Danielle gripped the latches and pulled them, then gripped the Meeting Railing and pulled up.

Of course, the window was stuck.

Months of rain had distorted the frame and held the window in place.

She struggled to open it several times, hoping Lancer wouldn't hear the ruckus she was making but eventually gave up.

She placed a hand on her hips and furrowed her brows in frustration.

Going out through the window would've been easier, less of a chance of getting caught.

Dani didn't want to do much thinking. She just wanted to leave and find Danny, and avoid any goodbyes with the lonely educator that had provided her with a temporary safe haven.

She was beginning to discover that she was no good with goodbyes.

A light tap on the door pulled her attention away from her method of escape.

"Ms. Phantom. I brought a toothbrush, brush, toothpaste, and towel. They're all clean and unused, so you don't have to worry about washing them or anything."

"Okay," Danielle replied. "Will you slide it under the door?"

Lancer did so.

Danielle stalked back across the room and picked up the items she had been given.

"Good night, Ms. Phantom."

She paused before answering. "Night, Mr. Lancer."

Danielle once again waited until the sounds of his footsteps faded, then made her way to the bathroom.

She was determined to leave soon, though she suddenly found herself reluctant to go.

She peered down at the paraphernalia in her arms.

The kind host, the warm room, the shower, the food...

It all suddenly seemed difficult to leave behind.

She closed her eyes, and Danny's face appeared.

All reluctance dissolved, consumed by her resolution to find the one person she cared for most in the world.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

"I don't understand why you would work with Amorpho." Sam sighed.

Her amethyst eyes wandered to Danny.

"Keep your eyes on the road," he retorted, ignoring her comment. "You're gonna get us killed."

"Danny, there _is _no road." She sighed but trained her eyes back onto the vast expanse of green that expanded before them.

The group had glided across the otherworld, both sitting snugly in the Specter Speeder. Fortunately, they had encountered no problems since they left the Wild island.

They passed several floating islands and glowing spirits who flashed them curious glances.

An attractive, blonde, humanoid ghost waved at Danny, giggling when he flashed her a small smile.

"You didn't answer my question," she pointed out, pulling Danny's gaze away from the window.

"You didn't ask a question," he retorted.

"Maybe not, but you know perfectly well I expected an answer."

Danny folded his arms. "Why? What's wrong with working with Amorpho?"

"Well, if I remember correctly he _pretended_ to be you and nearly got you _killed_ by your own parents _and _reeked havoc in our town."

"Yeah, well, Amorpho and I came to a resolution after all the trouble he caused. Plus, he seemed..." Danny paused, pensive, "trustworthy."

Sam's voice resonated with incredulity. "_Trustworthy_? You think he seems _trustworthy?_"

Danny shifted uncomfortably. "Sort of. Yeah, I guess."

"Are you kidding? That man's whole existence revolves around being an Impersonator. He lies every single time he takes up someone else's identity. I bet you he's a master manipulator by now and an excellent liar."

"Okay. You have a point," Danny admitted. "But my instincts are telling me that Amorpho's reliable."

"So you partner up with him and decide to make him Vlad's spy before actually ensuring his reliability?" The statement sounded more like a question, which irked Danny.

"Look," he began, "after we rescued Aminah, Vlad told me he knew my weakness and that he'd use them against me. He's made it pretty clear what he meant by that." Danny paused, focusing on the Goth. "You."

"Me?" Sam's gaze met his.

"And-and Tucker." Danny blinked, suddenly self-conscious. He shook off his embarrassment and continued. "And Jazz. And my parents. Basically, everyone I care about."

"Danny-" Sam's eyes welled with sympathy.

"Sam," he cut in, "I don't think you understand. I put the people I care about in danger everyday by constantly making enemies. That's why I've been so wound up lately. I've been scared of Vlad, worrying about who he might go after next." He sighed, exasperated. "I didn't even think...didn't even consider Danielle as a target. She's just been gone for so long, and I-"

It was Sam's turn to interrupt. "Danny, you can't protect everyone."

"But I can try," Danny sighed. "That's why I sent Amorpho undercover. I had to keep tabs on Vlad. And it's a good thing I did. Now I know who he's after, and I have to find her before he does. Danielle's in danger."

"You've made your point." Sam sighed. "Still, you shouldn't worry so much. I'm sure we'll find her."

"How do youknow? We haven't seen Dani since she disappeared on us. All she's done is travel. She's probably in Paris by now."

"Not if she found out Vlad's after her," Sam pointed out. "She's probably hiding someplace safe. You know how much he scares her."

"Even if she did somehow find out that Vlad was after her and decided to hide, it doesn't help me at all. She could literally be anywhere."

Sam raised a brow. "Not anywhere."

"What do you mean?" Danny queried, furrowing his brows, befuddled.

"Well, if Danielle's few visitations have taught us anything it's that she thinks and acts just like you." Sam glanced at him. "Where would _you _go if you were alone and threatened?"

"I guess if I were in her shoes I'd go find someplace safe. With someone I trusted."

"So, basically, she'd go looking for you." Sam glanced at Danny.

"Me?"

"Makes sense. I've seen how she looks at you. She kind of seems like she admires you. I've seen the way she relaxes when you're around. I think you're the only person she truly trusts in the whole world."

"Still, she hasn't come back," Danny pointed out.

Sam sighed. "You know, for all we know, she could be heading to your house as we speak. Or maybe she can't. Maybe, somehow, something's preventing her from coming to you. There's also the possibility that she doesn't even _know _she's in danger and is still traveling. Could be anything."

Danny sighed. "I just hope we find her soon."

The concern stirred restlessly in the pit of his core.

**A/N: That's all for now. I apologize for taking so long to update.**

**I've sort of been stuck on this chapter for a long time now.**

**Anywho, it's finally up and I can move on!**

**Comments and feedback are always appreciated!**


	6. Dreams

6\. Dreams

**A/N: Many, many, many apologies for the delay in updating.**

**Work, school.**

**Same old excuses, I'm sure y'all are tired of it.**

**Hopefully the length will make up for it!**

The shower was heavenly.

Danielle smiled as the hot water poured down and washed away all the dirt and grime from her body. The steam swelled around the shower and surrounded her with tranquility.

She took her time in the shower.

Danielle had had a real warm bath only one other time in her life, and it had been months ago, at Danny's house—the last time she'd seen him.

Ever since she'd left to travel the world, she'd basically relied on showers of indoor pools and the beaches' outdoors showers.

Oftentimes, she found herself going days at a time without showering and longing for residence in Danny's household.

It was one of the downsides of travelling penniless.

Memories of her original's home came rushing at her.

Unbeknownst to Danny, she had snuck into his house two, maybe three times in the past year just to sneak a peek into his warm abode.

The pictures on the wall revealed an overall happy home.

She'd seen Danny interact with his relatives, and it was exactly how she'd imagined a family to behave: never perfect but always reliable, loving, and nurturing.

More than once she'd imagined walking through those doors and being embraced by that family, being accepted into their home.

Of course, she thought, that could never happen.

And even if they did accept her despite her hybrid status, it wouldn't work.

There would be no way to explain the uncanny resemblance she and Danny shared.

She was certain the whole "distant cousins" excuse would not work on the Fenton parents.

And, if she did let them know she was Danny's clone, there would definitely be more questions.

Who had cloned her?

_Why _on _earth _would anyone want to clone Danny?

It might even lead to experiments in which they would find the ectoplasm in her bloodstream.

And...

Dreams were called dreams for a reason. They were generally impossible.

Still, there was always that glimmer of hope that she futilely kept.

Danielle stepped out of the shower, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

The brush came in handy, as her hair had been tangled from months of being left uncombed.

She stepped into the room and changed into her only extra set of undergarments then pulled on her rumpled t-shirt and tarnished jeans.

She stepped into the bathroom to take a look in the mirror.

Her cheeks flushed.

It wasn't noticeable beneath her oversized t-shirt, but she had noticed the change while she had been taking a shower.

Her breasts had already begun developing.

Danielle wasn't stupid.

She realized that her body would change eventually. After all, a girl's body did not have the same shape as the body of a woman.

Anyone with eyes could see that.

She knew the baggy clothes would, eventually, not be enough.

When Danielle first chose to leave Danny and travel the world, she decided to travel the human world, but she quickly learned that she disliked crowds.

People were too irritating, nosy, and annoying, especially the people in big cities.

So she'd hopped into a natural portal and chose to wander around the ghost zone, where things were, though perilous, much simpler.

Simple-minded, pertinacious ghosts were easier to deal with than complex, overemotional humans.

Her travels had taught her many things about ghosts but very few things about people, and it wasn't until she came to Frostbite that she realized she needed to be around humans more than ghosts.

Frostbite had been astute enough to recognize that, despite being physically and mentally thirteen years old, she'd only had three years of life experience.

She needed to learn about humans, as a part of her was mortal.

He had talked to her and explained that, while he could teach her everything she needed to know about ghosts, he—like her—knew next to nothing about human development.

He explained that he would not be able to help her learn about human maturation, especially the area of development that concerned the female species' transition into womanhood.

He advised her to seek out her original for guidance.

She had heeded his advice and took off for the human world.

Using the InfiMap, Frostbite had transported her to San Francisco, California.

Along her journey back to the Fenton household, Danielle often eavesdropped on women and teenagers whenever she snuck into the bathroom.

All she had gathered was that they went through something called a "period."

Danielle still had no idea what exactly that was but, from what she had gathered, it was something unpleasant.

She had hoped to talk to Danny about it, though she already dreaded an extremely awkward conversation.

If anything, Danny could at least find her another female to help her with her little dilemma.

Maybe Sam or Valerie, both of whom would be more knowledgeable, more understanding, and less awkward.

Danielle needed Danny, and not just because of discussions of human development, out-of-whack powers, or the hunters on her tail.

Traveling had quickly lost its marvel. With no money, no shelter, and no one to spend time with, life became primarily about survival.

Danny was the only family she had left in this world.

Without him...

She sighed and rubbed her temples.

Coming to a resolution, she grabbed her few belongings and stuffed it into her backpack.

As she did, energy unexpectedly exploded at her core and erupted into incredibly bright rings of light that traveled across her body.

She peered into the mirror. Snowy hair, green eyes, and the familiar hum of energy coursing through her veins. She exhaled, wondering if the unpredictable, sporadic changes would ever cease.

She tugged at her intangibility and invisibility, but, much to her frustration, the abilities refused to work.

She settled for sneaking out the old fashioned way.

With the silence of a ghost, she slipped out the door.

The living room was empty and dark, but still as homey as it had ever been, making Danielle feel a twinge of disappointment for leaving.

She snuck a quick glance at Lancer's closed bedroom door then crept towards the front door and quickly made her way out.

The outside world was still and quiet except for the buzzing crickets and chirping birds. She knew it was cold, but it didn't bother her like it would most humans.

She stepped through the door.

To her surprise, the porch lights were on.

Lancer sat on a wooden chair, book in one hand and his other elbow resting on a round table beside him.

The man peered over his glasses, training his clear eyes on her. "Going somewhere?"

He wore a solemn expression.

Danielle swallowed. "Were you waiting out here for me?"

"Yes," he replied simply.

"You knew I was gonna make a run for it."

"Yes."

"How?" Danielle's voice took on an edge of frustration.

"I'm not stupid. If you tried it once, there was no doubt you'd try it again." As if reading her mind, Lancer added, "I know that I cannot stop you from leaving. If you want to go, you can fly out of here without any permission, but you can be sure I will try to prevent you from leaving."

"What? Why?" Danielle glowered. "What do you care if I leave or go?"

"We already discussed this. It's too dangerous," Lancer pointed out, equally frustrated. "Have you forgotten? Your abilities are not working properly. What if someone assaults you? What if you run into a ghost hunter? Or worse, what if you run into the person who almost killed you? What if someone recognizes you as a ghost? The paparazzi would eat you alive! Or you might end up in a secret facility experimented on." He paused and took a calming breath. "Danielle, you're still a kid, and there are so many things could go wrong if you take off on your own. You need a guardian."

Danielle grit her teeth. "I'm not a kid." She paused. "Besides, Danny will protect me."

"And how long will it be before you find him? Days? Weeks? Anything can happen between then and now. You could get yourself killed before you ever even find him. And then what? Mr. Phantom would wallow in misery and blame himself for your death. Because he's a hero, he would probably feel regret at not having been able to save you."

"That's not true," Danielle snapped. "That would never happen!"

"Oh, but it can, Miss Phantom, and you are angry because you know very well that I'm right. At least if you're with an adult, the odds of you getting into trouble diminish significantly."

Danielle huffed and crossed her arms, suddenly reluctant to meet his gaze.

Fury and humiliation ran hot in her face.

Lancer spoke with an authority she found difficult to defy. "Go back inside, Danielle. Now."

:~:~:~:~:

Danny looked up at the door, suddenly hesitant.

It was the same as it had always been: faded blue paint on smooth wood with a little chip at the bottom left corner.

There was no reason to fear the door itself, but there was a most definitely a reason to fear what went beyond.

The knob twisted. He pushed the door open and entered.

The lab was clean. It had been tidied by Maddie just that morning, but it looked different.

The table, the cabinets, their software, and their equipment had all been moved to the far right wall of the lab.

To his left, there was a large, enclosed glass cubicle with a keypad and speaker attached on either side of a door that would've easily gone by unseen were it not for a small metal handle.

A computer on a wheeled table sat by the cubicle.

Normally, the screen would display figures and numbers that were incomprehensible to Danny, but today it was black with the word FentonWorks bouncing around the screen.

Danny redirected his attention to the cubicle.

Inside, there was a small wooden desk, a lamp, a white bed, and a shower that Jack had constructed himself.

His old man had taken the liberty of hanging curtains around the bathroom area for some decency.

The cubicle had been purposely built around the wall with a vent installed into it.

Danny knew his parents had rigged the vent with some of their technology, though he could only guess at what the vent's purpose was.

Nothing else inside except for a young boy sitting on the floor, his legs crossed and a face displaying an expression of boredom and vexation.

Danny hesitated then approached.

According to his parents, the case was entirely ghost-proof, so there was no chance of the Phantom doppelgänger escaping or hurting anyone.

Still, closing the distance between them seemed precarious to Danny, especially if the only thing that separated him from his clone was a mere glass wall.

Danny mustered up enough bravery to do what his instincts alerted him not to do, and, once he was up close, he was able to better study the boy.

The boy's silver-white hair was ruffled.

He wore simple attire: a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and white t-shirt—garments that had once belonged to his original.

The boy was nearly an identical replica of Danny.

He had the round face, the lean form, the short stature.

The only distinguishing features were the gray-ish tint to his hair and his body's increasingly visible signs of deterioration.

Deep bags formed beneath his dull green eyes, his gray-tinted silver hair had lost its healthy luster, and his normally roseate lips were as pasty as his unusually colorless skin.

Anyone who looked at the young boy could tell death was slowly, treacherously creeping onto him, preparing to wholly consume him.

"So we meet again."

Danny was startled by the coarse voice.

The sound was eerie with its nearly imperceptible echo and uncanny equivalence to Danny's own voice.

The clone cleared his throat and managed to hiss at Danny. "Would you quit staring?"

"S-sorry," Danny uttered out.

"God, I hate it when people stare." The clone shifted uncomfortably.

"Y-yeah. Me too," Danny uttered, dumbly.

The clone snorted in response.

Danny cleared his throat. "My—my mom told me you finally woke up some time last night."

"Clearly," the boy retorted.

Danny sighed and shifted uncomfortably.

The clone also sighed but placed his elbow on one knee, resting his chin on his hand.

"You look like shit," Danny finally pointed out.

"_Thank_ you for stating the obvious." The clone rolled his eyes and gave Danny an icy glare. "How about you stop talking shit and start answering questions."

"Questions?" Danny blinked. "You have questions?"

The clone straightened up, his eyes flashing with fury. "What are you, stupid? Wouldn't _you _have questions if _you _woke up in someone's lab after a huge battle with your original and, to top it off, felt like the energy was being sapped out of you?"

Danny blushed. "I guess."

"Yeah," the boy bit back, angrily. "You guess." He slowly rose to his feet, eyes glowing furiously. "Why am I here?"

Danny flinched back a step. "I-I don't know. I thought someone would've told you-"

The anger in the boy's gaze suddenly intensified, and Danny hadn't even known that was possible.

The fury in the clone seemed to magnify tenfold, his eyes wild with rage.

He roared, hammering his wrath and madness into each word, screaming with a frenzy that frightened Danny.

"_ANSWER ME, INSOLENT HUMAN! TELL ME WHERE I AM! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ME? TELL ME OR I'LL SNAP YOUR NECK, YOU STUPID, FUCKING EXCUSE FOR A HERO._"

The boy's fist slammed into the glass. The confinement vibrated from the impact, but otherwise remained undamaged and intact.

Danny stumbled backwards, suddenly terrified of his own copy.

Something soft brushed against Danny's shoulder.

Alarmed, Danny swatted the hand away and jumped into a defensive stance.

His palms glowed with ectoplasmic energy.

Maddie raised her hands in a calming gesture.

"Easy," she reached out and gently laid a hand on her son's cheek.

She met his gaze.

Her indigo eyes pacified him, but he suddenly felt weary.

She gave him an appraising look that quickly shifted to the confined clone.

The rampant teenager was wreaking havoc within his own confinement.

Ecto rays sporadically shot from his palms and even his eyes.

He was evidently attempting to break out, though his torrent only served to obliterate the little furniture he possessed.

Maddie stalked over to him.

The clone turned to look at her, focusing his rage and attacks solely on her, though his attempts at harm were clearly failing.

Maddie pressed a few buttons on the keypad.

It must've been an activation code, Danny deduced as a green gas shot out from the miniature vent.

The greenish vapor pressed into every inch of the cubicle, causing the clone to drop to his feet, unexpectedly caught in a coughing fit.

Maddie approached the glass and guided Danny towards it. She put one hand on each shoulder.

Danny bit his lip resisting his own reluctance to approach.

The clone shot Maddie a glare that was dulled by his exhaustion.

"What...did you to me?" He bared his teeth, menacingly.

"I drugged you." She pointed to the keypad. "This thing isn't just a security lock. Jack hooked up one of our devices to the ventilation system in your cell, although I'm not exactly sure how. Jack was always better in the engineering aspect of our ecto-entity research, while I was more interested in the biological and chemical part of it. The gas you were given was something _I_ created. It's an ecto-nullifying gas mixed with a dosage of benzodiazepine or BDZP, which is a drug used for sedation." She paused.

The clone sat up on his heels, eyes widening.

Maddie's face remained neutral, betraying no emotion. She pulled her rolling chair away from the computer and sat down.

She crossed her legs and settled her hands on her lap, her fingers lacing together.

"You have nothing to worry about. The amount I just gave you is only enough to mildly calm you. However, if I punch in the right numbers," she pointed to the keypad, "I can give you enough to knock you out for a long while."

"A long while?" The clone furrowed his brows.

Maddie didn't elaborate. "Yes. Long enough for Jack and I to do what we have to."

A flicker of fear passed through the clone's eyes, causing Danny to feel a sympathy he wished he hadn't felt.

"What exactlyare you doing to me?" The clone snapped. "Whatever it is, it's making me weak."

"We're currently not doing anything to you." Maddie divulged.

"The hell you aren't!" The ghost cut back. "I can _feel _it. My strength is failing, and it's starting to _hurt _every time I use my powers. My chest is tight, and sometimes I feel like my insides are melting."

"They probably are." Maddie pointed out, earning a horrified look from the clone and the original.

The Danny copy found himself at a loss for words. Maddie continued. "When Vlad created you, he was hoping to create a full ghost from the DNA of a human-ghost hybrid."

Maddie briefly placed a hand on her son's shoulder, flashing him a sympathetic glance before turning a neutral expression back unto the clone.

"However, like most of his other experiments, Vlad failed to successfully make a stable clone. I can see why, too. Vlad tried eliminating any humanity in you, and, by doing so, made you unstable. Because of his attempts to remove your humanity, anytime you experience strong enough emotions, you release a caustic chemical from your brain that corrodes your blood and brain cells. This is why you're finding it increasingly difficult to control your impulses. Your frontal lobe and your blood have been affected by the chemical releases. Your organs should have been melting by now, but Jack and I have decided to try and preserve your life for as long as possible. In addition to the EBZD, the ventilation system is periodically releasing a gasified version of the ecto-dejecto into your cell, which is why you are still alive. The ecto-dejecto is giving your body enough energy to fight off or, rather, slow down the effects of the chemical Vlad built into your system."

The clone fell silent; his gaze had fallen to his hands.

Danny couldn't find any words, either. The information Maddie had given the clone was unsettling.

Despairing, actually.

The sympathy Danny had felt earlier magnified and was immediately accompanied by pity and sorrow.

The clone pulled his knees to his chest. He struggled to conceal his emotions, but a bit of grief still managed to escape.

"How long do I have?"

"It's hard to say," Maddie admitted. "The fewer emotional attacks you have, the longer you'll last. Even so, the ecto-dejecto only slows the effects the chemical has _on your brain_. However, it hasn't stopped the disintegration of the rest of your organs. With the the ecto-dejecto in your system, I'd say you're life span has expended to two more weeks. A month, by miracle. Maybe if I had a sample of that chemical in your head, I could get...well, _something _to help, but if I even attempted to do that the damage could be exponentially worse."

"So, I'm going to die." The boy said, simply. His eyes suddenly empty of expression.

Maddie's gaze softened along with the tone of her voice. "I didn't say that."

The clone's eyes betrayed a glimmer of hope.

"From what Danny has told me, this isn't the first time a clone began disintegrating. According to him, this has happened to another clone at a much more rapid pace. He used the original ecto-dejecto on her and managed to save her life. Unfortunately, that was our last vial, and Jack and I didn't bother continuing our research once we realized the syrum was beneficial to ghosts. The gas we've given you is only an attempted replica. It's not as good as the original."

The clone flinched at her last words. "Yeah," he chuckled mirthlessly, flashing bitter eyes at Danny. "Not as good as the original, huh?" He grit his teeth, returning his bitter glare to Maddie. "Why do you people even bother keeping _me _alive, huh? I'm dying anyways, and you've got your _oh-so-special_ original over there."

"Believe it or not, _he's _the reason you're alive." Maddie motioned towards Danny who blushed at the sudden attention.

The clone swiveled his cynical gaze towards Danny, making the original feel uncomfortable.

Maddie continued. "Jack looked about ready to kill you when I saw him. But he sucked you up in the Thermos, instead. He said Danny could decide your fate. Danny decided to let you live. Then again, my son values life...and afterlife, I suppose." She sighed. "He's made it explicitly clear that he frowns on obliterating creatures."

"As for why Jack and I are keeping you here..." she paused, eyes momentarily meeting Danny's before returning to his clone's. "When we released you from the Thermos, you appeared unconscious. We studied your condition and realized—at the rate the chemical was being released—you only had a week's worth of life left. I wanted to keep you around, study you, but Jack didn't. We eventually agreed to release you into the Ghost Zone and let whatever happened happen. We considered the possibility of you coming back here for help or for vengeance, but we figured we'd deal with it if or when we had to. But then..."

She sighed. "While you were out, you scrunched your nose."

Both the original and clone were perplexed. The clone voiced Danny's thoughts. "Yeah? What of it?"

"Anytime Danny has an unpleasant dream, he furrows his brows and scrunches his nose in his sleep. He also mutters things that no one really understands. And that's exactly what _you_ did."

Danny's surprised gaze met his clone's. Their expressions of surprise and bewilderment mirrored one another's.

"We still don't know what you were muttering about, but Jack and I both decided we'd try our hardest to save your life." She paused. "You're still just a kid. A small part of you is human. You reminded us of that while you slept."

The clone furrowed his brows, though his expression was unreadable.

Maddie rose to her feet. "Jack and I are working vigorously to help you. There's still a chance for you. A slim chance, but a chance nonetheless."

She pointed to their computer system. "This baby here is keeping track of your heart, your BP, your energy fluctuations, and your brain waves. If there is even the slightest change, the computer will alert a portable buzzer that Jack and I carry at all times. We'll know immediately if something's wrong."

The clone rose to his feet.

Danny held his breath as he watched the clone's slow, methodical movements.

To his surprise, nothing happened.

He received a cold glower from the clone who then paced over to the farthest corner of his confinement.

The young boy sank to the floor and turned his back to the Fenton pair.

"Leave me," he said, finally.

He wondered if the clone really expected them to comply.

Maddie nodded and motioned for Danny to follow.

A flurry of emotions rushed at Danny, and he struggled to sort them.

"So," his mother began as she closed the door behind them. "Do you still think he's worth saving?"

The pair fell into step.

"Yes," Danny replied without hesitation. "Even more so, now. We should help if we can."

Maddie nodded, her own smile stretching across her lips.

Danny continued, encouraged by his mother's smile. "I'm aware that he poses a threat to all of us, me especially, and it's kind of scary." He admitted. "He may be dangerous, but I'm the reason he even exists in the first place, so I feel like I owe it to him to try and save him. I think he should at least have a chance to live, to _choose_."

"Oh, my boy." Maddie ruffled his raven hair. "The purest soul of us all." Her hand fell away and she regained her solemnity. "The reason I ask again is because we may need you to help him live. I'm going to need a sample of your blood for starters. I want to compare and contrast your genetic make up to his, and a blood sample seems like a good start."

Danny hesitated. "Alright, I guess, but I'd like to get it over with. Sam and I found out that Vlad's after Danielle, and I want to start searching for her as soon as possible."

Maddie stopped abruptly, capturing Danny's arm and preventing him from entering the kitchen.

Danny glanced at the fingers wrapped around his arm then looked up to meet her intense gaze.

"You're looking for Danielle?"

"Um, yeah." He shifted, uncomfortably. "That's not a problem, is it?"

"Danny," she began, "Danielle's form was stabilized with the original ejecto-dejecto. Between your stable DNA and the original ejecto-dejecto in Danielle's system, there might just be a really good chance of saving your clone."

Danny blinked and allowed the information to sink in.

He swallowed, nausea rolling over him.

Maddie placed a hand on the small of his back.

"Danny, this is good news. We could save a life, and this would be a great opportunity for your father and I to get to know Danielle. Possibly even make her an official Fenton herself if she chooses to stay."

Danny swallowed, anxious. "Yeah, but if that original ecto-dejecto really is as valuable as it sounds it is, then that gives Vlad a really good reason to want Danielle. He already lost a clone, and he's desperate to figure out how to stabilize more of them. It all explains why he's placed a bounty on her head."

Danny swallowed, suddenly shaken. "Mom, Danielle is in really big trouble."

**A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	7. Identity

7\. Identity

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Morning came, lifting Danielle from sleep.

The sunlight beamed brightly into her room, comforting her with the warmth of its rays.

The girl lay in bed and took a few moments to really appreciate her sojourn at chez Lancer.

The mattress was soft and luxurious beneath her, which made for an amazing, nightmare-less sleep.

She nuzzled her face into the fluffy pillow.

A home, a bed, a shower, and...

She paused and lifted her head as a mouthwatering scent poured into her room.

"Breakfast," she realized with a smile.

That was enough to tear the girl out of bed.

She went to the bathroom and grabbed her toothbrush, quickly cleaning her mouth before stepping back to look at her reflection.

Her eyes widened when they landed on the mirror.

"Damn." She hissed. Her eyes were blue.

Clear, crystalline blue.

She groaned and ran a hand through her still-silvery-colored hair, exasperated. "What did Vlad _do_ to me?"

She swallowed and peered at the door.

The girl ransacked the bathroom, scouring for anything to hide her crystalline eyes and found to her utter disappointment that there was no way to conceal them.

Danielle was suddenly hesitant to leave the room.

She had no idea how to change her eye color. She tried to conjure up her transformation rings.

Horror washed over her when she found no power to reach for.

Surely, the minor change in appearance would not go unnoticed.

How would she explain eyes that went from glowing green to a mundane blue?

Frustrated, she walked out the door.

Lancer was cooking in the kitchen.

He had tossed on a t-shirt and jeans and seemed intently absorbed in the meal he had prepared.

Danielle's stomach clenched in hunger when she caught sight of the dishes laid out on the table. The smell of the food drew her closer.

The happy yellow color of the scrambled eggs caught her eyes first. Then the seemingly endless supply of pancakes sitting on a plate settled between a jar of syrup and a can of whipped cream.

A large bowl of oatmeal sat beside a large container of orange juice.

Two empty plates and glass cups sat in front of empty chairs.

Lancer glanced up, catching sight of his guest.

"Good morning, Danielle." He smiled. "I made a lot of food, so I hope you're-"

He cut himself off the moment he met her eyes.

Danielle swallowed and remained quiet, struggling to think up an excuse.

To her immense relief, she didn't have to.

"Are you gonna freeze anything?" Lancer queried, cynically.

"What?"

"Your eyes." He pointed out. "They're blue. Yesterday, when you froze my yard, your eyes turned blue."

"No." Danielle assured him. "I can always feel the cold before I actually freeze anything. It's the same for all my powers. Anytime I'm about to go berserk, I always have a minimum five-minute warning. So, you're house is safe, for now." She waved a hand.

"Okay," Lancer nodded. "Well, the bacon is ready."

He lifted the pan of bacon and poured it into a plate. "Help yourself."

Danielle didn't need to be told twice.

The girl took the time to really appreciate her meal, and she had never tasted anything so amazing.

The pancakes were the highlight of the meal.

"Oh, my god," Danielle breathed. "Chocolate chip pancakes!" She chewed slowly, savoring the sweet taste in her mouth. "This is amazing."

Lancer blushed. "Thank you."

"You learn to make these yourself?"

"Yeah." Lancer smiled, modestly. "I haven't made them since-"

He cut himself off.

Danielle caught a trace of emotion in his teal eyes, but they were gone before she could read into them.

When he recovered, he was ready with a change of topic. "I was thinking we should go out today."

Danielle blinked, wondering about his incomplete sentence.

She remained quiet for a moment. Her theory of Lancer having lost a family returned, but she quickly pushed her curiosity away.

She had secrets, as did he.

Whatever he had gone through, it was none of her business.

"Where are we going?"

"The mall."

"The mall?" Danielle grimaced.

"Of course. I saw your little backpack. It doesn't seem like it could hold much, and it's wearing out. You obviously have no clothes either, seeing as how you're still wearing the same clothes as yesterday."

Dani glanced down at her t-shirt and jeans, then grimaced hesitantly.

"Don't you think taking me to a place crowded with people would be too dangerous?"

"Well," Lancer countered, "like you said, you always have a forewarning whenever things are about to go bad, so we can avoid any perilous situations. The mall has lots of exits." He paused. "We can get other things you may need or want. I know a woman at the mall who can help you with anything you need. I don't know how long it'll take for you to find your cousin, but we may as well get some traveling essentials."

Danielle blinked at him.

A smile slowly spread across her face.

A smile that made Lancer feel regret at having proposed a trip to the mall.

:~:~:~:~:~

The mall was incredibly big and bustling with people scurrying to and fro.

Each person varied in shape, size, color, and age.

Because of her tendency to avoid crowds, Danielle had never been in an edifice with so many people converged in one area and so much diversity all packed under one roof.

The buzzing mass intimidated her. Surely at least one person in the overcrowded mall would notice a ghost walking in their midst.

"This isn't going to work," Danielle hissed at Lancer.

"Of course it is," Lancer replied, assuredly. "There's a reason I chose this mall. It's deep in the city, and you can find all sorts of people here. No one will bat an eyelash at you."

"Oh, no?" Danielle pulled the hood around her face. "You think no one will take a second look at a silver-haired girl who glows a little bit?"

"First of all, you're covered from head to toe," Lancer pointed out. "Besides, your glow is so faint today, you could easily pass for human. As for the silver hair, anyone could easily mistaken you for goth with all the black you're wearing."

"Can we just get a move on, please?" Danielle bit her lip. "Where's this lady we're supposed to be meeting?"

Lancer strode across the bustling cafeteria. Danielle followed him as he guided her past the crowd. She carefully avoided human contact.

After some wandering, the pair eventually made their way into a large store that was filled with trendy clothing styles.

They cut their way past a group that consisted primarily of females and walked to the far back of the store where beaming young women stood behind cash registers, handling purchases and exchanging pleasantries with the customers.

Lancer politely called one of the employees handling clothes and asked for an Addison.

The girl nodded then departed, quickly returning with an older, attractive woman.

The woman—likely in her middle or late twenties—had light brown hair that tumbled down to her back and sparkling gray eyes that radiated exuberance.

Danielle took in the woman's loveliness from head to toe.

The woman had a heart-shaped face and painted red lips that parted into a genuine smile the moment her gaze landed on Lancer.

Peculiarly, the woman's face faintly tugged at Danielle's memory, though Danielle was certain she'd never forget a face as pretty as hers.

Addison, as Lancer had called her, wore stunning stilettoes the same vibrant color as her blue blazer. Beneath the blazer was a ruffled, cream-colored dress that wrapped around her thin frame, revealing just a peek at her slim legs. A beautiful gold chain dangled from her neck. The necklace's golden angel wing rested between her bosom and midriff; the diamond encrusted in it glittered each time it caught the light.

A Bluetooth-like earpiece was tucked into one of the woman's ears; its black cord swayed by one of her golden hoop earrings and disappeared behind her blazer.

The name Addison was engraved beneath the words Store Manager on the gold nametag pinned over her heart.

"Jonathon!" She laughed and ran to Lancer, pulling him into a tight embrace. "It's been such a long time!"

Lancer laughed. "It has been, Addie."

The woman stepped back and jokingly slapped at Lancer's arm. "Tell me, how has life been treating you?"

"I'm managing," Lancer nodded. "I finished paying off the house and am still teaching English at Casper High."

"Oh," Addison snapped with mock irritation. "I don't know why you're still teaching at that silly old high school anyways. There's nothing keeping you in Amity anymore. With those PhDs and Masters, you could be working at the best universities in the country. I bet you're still living all alone in that big old house, too." The young woman tsked and shook her head vigorously. "It's high time you got up and moved on to better things. You know it's what Madison would've wanted."

Lancer rolled his eyes. His vexation leaked into his words, despite his struggle to withhold his emotions. "Who are you to judge? You're twenty eight and still working at a department store."

The words should've angered the young woman, but—much to Danielle's surprise—she laughed it off. "Actually, I'm being promoted. My boss told me that as soon as I get my degree, she's promoting me. She sees potential and firmly believes that I can make it to CFO. As soon as I get my Masters, I'm going corporate. In a few weeks, I will be leaving this job and going on to earning the big bucks." The woman laughed and waved her hand dismissively. "But that's enough about me. I'm sure after all this time you didn't call me just to find out how well I've been doing."

"You are correct," Lancer admitted, eager to change the subject. "I'm sorry. I failed to introduce you to Danielle. Danielle, this is my sister-in-law, Addison."

"Sister-in-law?" Danielle queried.

The reason for the woman's familiarity struck Dani dumb. Addison bore an undeniable resemblance to the woman from Lancer's college pictures—Madison, Lancer's wife.

"Addison, this is Danielle."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," the woman reached out and grasped Danielle's hands before she could realize what was happening. Addison's eyes widened. "Goodness gracious, girl. You're as cold as ice."

Danielle smiled sheepishly and retracted her hand.

"Addie, Danielle here is...well, she's a kid I'm helping out. She's staying at my place for a while until she's reunited with her relatives."

Addison folded her arms across her chest. "And you brought her to me because...?"

"You're the only trustworthy person I know who can help this girl get whatever she needs in terms of necessities and, quite possibly, advice." He swallowed, melancholy filling his gaze. "You know how bad I am dealing with rebellious teenage girls."

Empathy welled from Addison's gray eyes, which quickly became analytical when her gaze landed on Danielle.

She sighed and spoke after several moments of pensive silence. "Give me a moment to get my things and call the assistant manager to cover the rest of my shift."

She turned on her heels and strutted away, disappearing behind a door that read 'Employees Only.'

After several moments of waiting, Addison rejoined the pair, this time without her headset and nametag.

"Let's walk." She ordered, walking right past them, clearly expecting them to comply. Danielle had half a mind to defy, but she followed Lancer who followed his sister-in-law out the double doors.

"Jeez. She seems demanding," Danielle muttered to Lancer.

"Only because it's what she's used to," Lancer replied. "Her heart's in the right place, though. I promise. If there's anyone we can trust, it's her. She's the second most loyal person I know."

"Who's the first?" Danielle queried.

Lancer sighed. "My wife."

Danielle immediately dropped the subject.

Once they exited the store, Addison turned to look at them. Her gray eyes bore into Danielle's. "Alright, cutie. I need to know exactly what you need and why you need it."

Dani tucked her hands into her pockets, a faint blush tracing over her cheeks. "I-I need clothes."

"Alright," Addison tilted her head to the side. "What kind of clothes will you be needing? How much? You said you were meeting a relative. How long will it take before you meet up with them? Where do they live and how far away?"

Danielle furrowed her brows.

The woman was already asking one too many questions, putting Danielle on edge. She struck a defensive tone into her reply. "Why do _you_ care?"

Addie gave her another analytical once over. She sighed, her eyes softening. "Look, Dani. That's your name, right? Sweetheart, I'm just trying to help, okay? The reason I'm asking is because I would like to know approximately how much clothes we need to get you and what kind. If your relative lives in a place that's hot all the time, we may need to get you out of that sweater and into something lighter and more comfortable. Something easier to travel in. I don't know where you come from or where you're going, and I don't mind not knowing but, if you expect me to help, I need to know specifically what you need help with."

Danielle nodded slowly. "Okay." She cast a glance at a silent Lancer, suddenly hesitant.

Mercifully, Addison noticed her tentativeness and took charge of the situation.

"Give me your card." She held her palm out towards Lancer.

"What?" Lancer blinked.

Addison sighed and impatiently flicked her fingers. "Give me your card. I need your credit card."

"What? Why?" Lancer was dumbfounded.

"Oh, please, Jonathon." Addison rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you remember what it was like having shopping sprees with us girls. Just give us the money, we'll get what we need, and we'll meet you back here at the cafeteria."

Lancer sighed but fished his wallet out of his back pocket.

"Fine. But don't try not to go too overboard, okay?"

Addison laughed jovially. "Excuse me, when I have I _ever _gone overboard?" Lancer's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to say something but Addison interrupted.

Her expression became reminiscent. "Just like the good old days, huh, John?"

Lancer smiled, his expression mirroring hers. "Like the good old days." He nodded then became solemn again.

"Look, Addie. Danielle is going through some things right now, and I'm going to need to make sure she can contact me in case of an emergency. If she asks for your phone, you give it to her. No questions asked."

His attention shifted to Danielle. "Dani, if there's any problem at all, if you even suspect..." he paused, "if you feel like there'll be trouble or you get one of those forewarnings, call me immediately. Even if it is just a false alarm."

Danielle nodded.

The man paused, then turned and walked away.

Within moments, she was alone with Addison.

"Well," the woman chirped, "let's get shopping!"

Danielle was quickly ushered into the changing room of a teen-centric store.

"Alright, let's see what we're working with here." Addison sat on the changing room's sitting bench. "Mind taking off your hoodie?"

Danielle hesitated but complied.

Addison's breath audibly caught in her throat.

"You-you look like-"

"A ghost?" Danielle offered.

"Wh-what?" Addison laughed. "No, silly! You look like an actress from some fantasy movie or something. Doll, you're gorgeous!"

Danielle blushed. Addison continued. "Shopping for youis going to be _spectacular_!"

Addison rose to her feet. "Your hair is absolutely breathtaking."

She held up a bundle of Danielle's incredibly long locks. "Who dyed it?"

"It's natural," Dani blurted without thinking.

"Natural?" Addison chuckled. "The only person with hair that's naturally silver is Danny Phantom."

Danielle cast an incredulous look at Addison.

The girl furrowed her brows. "Now that I mention it, you do look a little like him. If you had his eyes, outfit, and glowing skin, you could pass for his..." Addie paused. "Relative."

"Th-that's impossible," Danielle offered, though her voice betrayed anxiety. "Do-do I really look that much like him?"

Addison blinked and thoroughly inspected Danielle. "This person you're looking for wouldn't happen to be him, would it?"

Danielle felt fear wash through her. "I-"

Addison laughed. "Calm down, buttercup. I've got a keen eye. At a glance, no one would suspect you of being related to our town's infamous hero. You look too human."

"Your hair, however, is too flashy. That'll draw attention to you, and it doesn't seem like you want to stand out." She paused. "We could dye your hair-"

"No," Dani cut in.

"...Or you could wear a hat." Addison chuckled. "Scratch that. Not a hat. Maybe just a cute beanie for now. And a bra. Sweetums, that tee shirt isn't doing much good hiding your boobs. What size bra are you?"

"I-" Danielle paused, her face burning. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" The woman paused. "Have you had your period yet?"

"My what?"

"Are you..." Addison seemed reluctant to ask. "Are you human?"

"You think I'm not?" Danielle queried.

"To be honest, I'm starting not to think so, what with your white hair and ice cold skin. I'm also starting to think that gorgeous glow you have has nothing to do with great skin."

_Damn, _Danielle thought. Addison was certainly perceptive.

"I'm human enough," Danielle admitted, choosing her words carefully. "But I don't interact with people much because of...my condition. I also...don't really know much about...puberty."

"Girl, you are a mystery wrapped up in an enigma." Addison smiled. "Don't you worry. I won't pry anymore than I need to. As your temporary mentor in all things female, I will respect your right to secrecy. We can talk as we shop. We'll start with beanies and undergarments, and we'll have what I like to call the 'Growing Girls' talk. Then we can find you some thing to wear. If you're looking for our Amity's guardian-slash-ghost hunter-"

"I never said I-"

"-it means you'll be staying within the city limits, which narrows down our clothing options. We can get you some cute skirts, a nice dress-"

"Nothing frilly," Dani cut in, overwhelmed by the woman's prattle. "I'm not into all that girly crap."

Addison sighed and continued. "Fine. Nothing overly girl-ish, I promise. However, that doesn't mean you have to go around dressed like a guy. Everyone—female or not—has their own personal style, and we can figure out yours. I'm sure we can find you some cute, inconspicuous, comfortable clothing. Just enough for a few weeks."

Addison paused for the briefest moment, once again analytical. "You seem to settle for simplicity, but you've also got a tomboy-ish attitude about you." Addison tapped her chin. "I'm thinking a laidback, skater style is a good start. Something cute, but not exaggeratedly feminine."

Addie laughed and clapped her hands. "I can already tell you're gonna make this shopping experience difficult. Oh, how I love a challenge!" She clapped her hands.

Danielle flinched at the woman's glee.

"Let's get started!"

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Much to Danielle's delight, she only had two power freak-outs throughout their shopping spree: levitation and cyrokinesis.

The first one had begun as a light, airy, feeling. Like Earth's gravity had suddenly weakened its hold on her.

Then she felt almost like she was floating. Like her feet were just barely touching the ground.

She'd run into the changing rooms the moment she realized what was going on and hid inside.

She'd floated all the way to the ceiling and, for several terrible moments, she thought she'd be stuck up there with no way of contacting Lancer.

Eventually, though, gravity slowly returned, weighing her back down.

She reunited with a puzzled Addison who quickly shrugged off Danielle's abrupt disappearance.

During her second power attack, Danielle felt a cold at her core, and she ran out the nearest exit.

She ran as far as the surprisingly empty parking lot before the ice escaped and froze the ground.

The rest of the spree continued without incident.

Danielle enjoyed Addison's presence. The woman seemed to sift through the clothes as if she were seeking out pieces to a puzzle. She'd grab something, ponder it, and then, if the article of clothing received her own approval, she would ask for Danielle's opinion.

The two girls finished with five bags worth of clothing, two bags worth of shoes, and another bag filled with beanies, as Danielle had requested.

In addition to the clothing garments, Danielle had another, larger, beige bag resting against her back; her thumbs were tucked beneath the brown straps that wrapped around her arms.

Danielle thought the bag rather pretty, despite its simplicity, but found it rather ludicrous that they had paid fifty dollars for such a simple backpack. Her former bag had been purchased for fifty cents at a flea market, though it was worn and had missing buttons.

Addison had assured her that the backpack would last a long time and would make an excellent traveling companion.

Danielle unhooked a thumb from the strap and adjusted the black beanie that covered her head.

Addison had laughed at Danielle's beanie fetish, but she assured her that beanies looked 'absolutely adorable' on her.

They reunited with Lancer who raised an eye at their numerous bags.

His greeting was an admonishing glare towards Addie and a demand from her. "How much did you spend?"

Addison paused to calculate the numbers. "We spent about 160 on clothes, 74 on shoes, 30 on beanies, 58 on feminine items, 50 on the bag, and 20 on the black highlights. So...I'd say only 382. _Maybe_ 385."

"Jesus, Addie!" Lancer proclaimed. "That's almost 390!"

"Oh, don't get you panties in a twist. It would've been way more expensive if she hadn't' been so nitpicky about everything. She's actually cheap when it comes to shopping. Still, I think we made a huge success and made great progress in her fashion department."

"I'm starving," Danielle complained, interrupting the family's spat.

"We ate like two hours ago," Lancer blinked.

"Three hours ago actually," Danielle smiled. "Well, almost three hours. I want food."

Lancer sighed. "Addie, care to join us for lunch?"

She grinned. "Can't. My fiancé's taking me out today."

"So this is where we part?" Dani queried, suddenly disappointed.

"Yes, Dani. Hope to see you around again." Addie sighed, though a smiled played on her lips. "Maybe I'll get to see you and that relative of yours." She winked then turned and trotted off in the opposite direction. "Bye, guys!"

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

**A/N: Next chapter will be posted either tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. I wasn't completely satisfied with this chapter. Seemed a bit rushed to me and disinteresting. But it was necessary and I wanted to get it out of the way for the next one.**

**Review? Please?**


	8. Trauma

8\. Trauma

"You dyed your hair?" Lancer queried.

The pair had chosen to eat in the mall's cafeteria. They'd had many options, and Lancer was forced to make purchases from every fast food restaurant in there, including McDonald's, La Pizzeria, Xiong's Sushi and Tico's Tacos.

They'd also placed an order of churros at Sally's Sweets, which only augmented to Lancer's credit card bill.

Danielle was already chomping on one of the two pizzas he'd brought her.

The petite girl seemed to indulge in every bite and still somehow managed to answer him between mouthfuls.

"No." Danielle swallowed her food and grasped a chunk of her silver hair, which was intermingled with black streaks. "They're clip-ons. Addison noticed that my eyebrows are black, and figured if we got black extensions, people would just assume I that the white hair are just highlights. She wanted to dye it, but I said no, so this was the next best thing. She said I'd look less conspicuous."

Lancer nodded. "Makes sense."

And his sister was definitely right. With the black beanie covering her head and the black-and-white streaked hair, Danielle fit into the crowd more easily.

The girl gorged into her meal. Excitement twinkled in her eyes—an excitement that stirred only when she found food. He momentarily wondered if it was possible for her to get this excited about anything else.

Lancer picked up his own pizza and focused on the matter he had been wanting to discuss since her attempted getaway.

"So, Danielle. Have you thought about how you're going to locate your cousin?"

Danielle stopped chewing, her eyes snapping to him.

Those eyes, Lancer thought, were deep and intense.

Lancer knew very few people with eyes that incredible shade of blue—light, icy, sparkling, and crystalline.

That same feeling of familiarity he'd felt when he'd first seen her blue eyes passed through him.

It was almost as if he'd _seen _them before. On someone else's face.

Granted, Lancer dealt with many people in one day—faculty, parents, students—and any attempt at solving the mystery of those familiar eyes seemed utterly futile.

"I have," she admitted. "A lot. Actually."

Those brilliant crystal irises revealed an immense disappointment and longing. Her melancholy led Lancer to realize just how deep her relationship to her cousin was and wondered if the heroic Phantom reciprocated these emotions.

Family must be really important to her, he thought.

"I want to go straight to his place, but it's such a long ways from here. Ever since that lecture you gave me last night, I've been thinking about how I'm gonna get there. I'm alone, and I'd have to travel on foot."

"I could drive you there," Lancer offered.

"That's...not a good idea. I...don't feel comfortable letting anyone else find out where he lives. And I doubt Danny would be okay with it either."

Something about the way she said Danny sparked something in his memory, but he quickly brushed it off.

"Well," he proposed, "you two could meet elsewhere."

"And how am I gonna ask my cousin to meet up with me somewhere if I have no way of contacting him?"

Lancer frowned. In truth, the situation was complicated, and they did have quite a dilemma.

"Maybe you can...um," Lancer paused, struggling to think up a plan.

They were interrupted by someone calling out an order through the speakers of Sally's Sweet's.

"Order number 21! Order number 21!"

"That's our order," Danielle rose to her feet. She held up a forefinger at Lancer in a 'wait' gesture. "Hold that thought."

Lancer nodded and took another bite of his pizza.

He noticed, with a start, that Danielle had already managed to consume every meal he had ordered her.

'Damn,' he thought, 'she eats fast.'

He glanced over his shoulder to peer at the girl.

She was already walking towards their table, her hungry eyes staring into the bag of churros in her hands.

Suddenly and completely unexpectedly, a hand curled around Danielle's arm.

A man had appeared, almost as if by magic, and had capture the ghost girl's gaze.

Danielle's eyes widened with a horror unlike any Lancer had ever seen. Warning bells immediately went off in his head.

The bag of churros slipped away from Dani's hand and landed on the floor.

Danielle struggled to pull away but the man must've had a strong grip on her.

Lancer immediately recognized him, even though he had yet to look at that man's face.

There was only one person in Amity with silver hair pulled into a low ponytail, and that man held a place of power over the city.

He got up and immediately began moving toward them.

Lancer was appalled that the mayor would publicly act so aggressively towards a young girl. His dislike for the man magnified even more.

As he approached, Lancer could hear the man muttering at the girl as he tried to tug her away from the crowd.

"Excuse me," Lancer snapped.

The mayor turned his head to look at Lancer. For a moment, his dark blue eyes flashed angrily, but the emotion immediately subsided, leaving behind only innocent confusion.

Lancer put some force into his words and spoke loudly, drawing the attention of the surrounding shoppers. "May I ask what you are doing to this young lady?"

Vlad Masters seemed to notice the attention that had been drawn towards them. He released Danielle but moved his arm to wrap around her shoulders, trapping her in place.

"My good sir, this young lady is my niece, and I have been searching everywhere for her."

The girl's eyes flickered to Lancer, revealing her terror.

Lancer immediately got the hint. The mayor, whether he truly was or wasn't a relative of hers, was someone Danielle feared.

And if this man could make a powerful young ghost fearful, then he was clearly someone not to be trifled with.

Lancer felt obligated to keep Vlad Masters away from her.

"My good mayor," Lancer chuckled, forcing his face to relax. "This girl is a student of Casper High, and she couldn't possibly be your niece. I know because I'm the vice principal. I saw her parents a few moments ago, and they're looking for her."

Vlad seemed confused. "Parents?"

Now, there were far too many eyes on the trio. Mayor Masters glanced around at the crowd then looked back at Danielle.'

"My goodness," Masters released her, feigning surprise. "It seems you're right. I must've mistaken her." He chuckled. "My niece was also wearing a beanie."

"Danielle," Lancer's eyes met Danielle's. "Why don't you go back and let your parents know you're okay."

The girl nodded mutely, then took off without another word.

The mayor's eyes trailed after the girl as she ran. He seemed eager to follow her, but Lancer prevented him from doing so.

"I can't believe I'm meeting the Mayor," Lancer's eyes beamed with false enthusiasm. "And, to top it off, you mistook one of my students for your niece! I didn't know you had any relatives."

"She's...a very distant relative," Masters smiled, his eyes sliding back to Lancer. A smile that resembled a shark's grin appeared on his pale face.

"Well, it is _great _to meet you Mayor Masters," Lancer snatched up the billionaire's hand before he had a chance to react.

Lancer realized with a start that his hands were as cold as ice.

He shook it, pretending not to notice.

"It is a _pleasure _meeting you as well," Masters nodded. "Did you say you work at Casper High?"

"Yes, sir. I do."

"Yes, I've heard about that school." Mayor Masters' eyes glittered with an esotericism that made Lancer feel uncomfortable. He could see the wheels turning behind the man's dark eyes, as if he were coming to an epiphany. A wicked glint of resolution flickered through the man's dark eyes. "In fact, I believe I have an acquaintance at that school. I'm personally friends with the parents of a Casper High student."

"Interesting," Lancer smiled.

"Well," Vlad smiled. "I apologize, but I'm in a bit of a rush and must leave. I'm scheduled to meet the owner of the company here today, and it seems I'm running late for my business meeting."

Lancer folded his arms across his chest. He tilted his head and attempted to appear genuinely puzzled. "You brought your niece to a business meeting?"

"I..." The mayor paused. "Yes, I did. Her parents thought it would help her choose a career path, preferably in business." He smiled. "Again, I'm sorry. I must go."

"Hope you find your niece," Lancer called after him.

The mayor gave him a strained smile, then turned and walked off.

Lancer waited until the man was well out of sight before making a move.

The bag of churros lay on the floor, unopened and unharmed. Their warmth seeped through the plastic bag as he scooped them up. Their aroma wafted into his nose, and he found himself upset that Danielle hadn't been able to enjoy her meal in peace.

Certainly, every child deserved to enjoy the little things life had to offer, including a normal meal after a normal day at the mall.

Even if that child wasn't entirely human.

Worry coursed through him.

Where had Danielle gone?

Lancer walked then kicked up his speed until he was almost running through the mall.

He remained alert, peering into the display windows of all the shops, eyes snapping to anyone with a black beanie on their heads.

By the time he got to his decrepit car, his muscles were burning unpleasantly, his leg had a cramp, and his lungs felt like they'd gone an hour in the boxing ring.

Still, it was worth it the moment he saw the ghost girl sitting in the front seat. She sat with her feet curled up on her side, the upper half of her body leaning towards the window. Her eyes were set on the car beside them, but her gaze seemed to travel somewhere beyond that.

Lancer exhaled and slid into his seat behind the steering wheel. "Why does it feel like every time I'm getting a workout, it's because I'm running after a teenager?"

He paused, waiting for some kind of retort from her.

The girl remained silent, fixedly staring at nothing in particular.

Lancer sighed and turned the key in the ignition.

The car screeched to life, snapping Danielle out of her stupor.

She jumped and glanced around, mutely frantic.

Lancer waited a few moments for her to calm down a bit, though her chest still heaved as she breathed heavily.

Her gaze darted between the side mirrors, the rear view mirror, and the windows.

He could see the paranoia in her eyes, and it equated to the paranoia he'd witnessed in a young boy who'd approached Lancer after his father had nearly beaten him to death in a drunken stupor.

Lancer sped across the highway. The second time in a long time that he dared to violate the law.

But, seeing Danielle react so frighteningly and knowing Mayor Masters was the reason behind her terror was enough for Lancer to recognize what a precarious situation they'd recently experienced and that he needed to get as far away from the shopping center as possible.

He'd seen malice in Vlad Masters' eyes, and Lancer found himself wondering what kind of man the mayor of Amity truly was, and why Danielle felt so terrified of him.

No more than ten minutes into the ride, Lancer noticed that Danielle's deep irregular breaths had quickly transformed into short, erratic spurts of pants.

"Danielle...?"

Lancer blinked down at the girl. Her hands were trembling violently and her face was whiter than usual. Beads of sweat glistened as they streamed across her cheek.

The girl grabbed at the door's grip, her left hand curling around the bottom of her seat.

Before Lancer could realize what was happening, the girl disappeared.

One minute she was there, the next she was gone.

Appalled, Lancer jerked the car into a sharp left, earning several angry honks from the other drivers.

His tires screeched as he came to a sudden halt. He parked in the side of the road, away from the dangers of the highway.

The distant sound of other tires skidding against the pavement prompted him to look into the rear view mirror.

Cars madly swerved around a girl lying in the middle of the road.

Lancer leapt out of the car and ran across the oncoming traffic, treading carefully to avoid approaching cars.

He scooped Danielle into his arms and ran back to his car, carefully placing the girl on the ground.

The temperature dropped suddenly and traces of frost appeared on the grass beneath her.

Several minutes passed with Lancer waiting beside Danielle but, eventually, she managed to calm down.

Lancer didn't dare touch her until the frost on the grass melted, leaving behind moist greenery.

Once again, Lancer picked her up, this time settling her in the seat.

He continued their long drive to his home.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Danny felt the exhaustion weighing him down.

He could feel the dimness of the ecto energy in his core. His muscles throbbed from overexertion. A million concerns and questions had been crammed into his mind since his clone's awakening, and the emotional weight of finding Danielle made everything all the more difficult to bare.

The boy hadn't even had enough energy to finish his flight home.

He'd woken up that morning at four am to begin his search in the Ghost Zone.

His two-hour flight to the Far Frozen had been fruitless; Frostbite had explained that Danielle had gone to the Human World in search of him.

Frustrated, Danny asked to be transported back to the Human World where he immediately resumed his search for Dani.

He scoured the entire east end of his city, checking every store, every shelter, every orphanage, every motel.

Anyplace that indicated possible residence.

He'd encountered a multitude of ghosts on his search for Dani.

His last fight had been with Skulker who escaped and fled to repair the damages Danny had inflicted on his robotic suit.

Spent from the battle, Danny's powers failed and he'd crash-landed several miles from Fentonworks.

He ran the rest of the way home, dodging fans, and managing to conjure just enough energy to invisibly escape the media.

A few blocks from home, his powers shut down completely. His human form took over.

He was greeted by darkness and silence when he entered his home.

A faint glow from the window of the door leading to the basement indicated that at least one of his parents was in the lab.

Either that, or they decidedly left it on for the clone.

The living room and the kitchen were strangely deserted.

Too tired to care, Danny slowly trudged up the stairs, sleep wrenching at his consciousness.

"Danny?" Jazz's voice echoed from the top of the stairs.

Lights turned on, momentarily blinding a vexed Danny.

He stumbled on the last step.

The girl emerged from her open bedroom.

Jazz sported light blue pajamas. Her pants had small purple and pink hearts splattered all over them.

Her vibrant hair was frazzled comically on only one half of her head.

Her expression was that of concern.

"Where is everyone?" Danny queried, rubbing his eyes.

"Mom's down in the lab. Dad went out looking for you 'cause you didn't answer your phone. You were gone all day."

"My phone ran out of battery," he explained.

He turned and began walking past her, but she stopped him, her hand shooting out to grasp his arm.

He looked down at her hand then at her face.

"I heard you and mom talked to the clone."

Danny's eyes snapped to her soft analytical ones. "Yeah."

He attempted to walk away, but she stopped him again. She spoke in a firmer tone. "Danny. Neither Tucker nor Sam has seen you all day. They called here looking for you, which is weird because you're with them 24/7." She bit her lip. "Talk to me? Please?"

Danny grimaced. "Jazz, not now. I'm tired, and I'm really not in the mood to play guinea pig, right now. If you want to do your little mind experiments, why don't you start with my clone? Hm? Maybe you'll get more answers out of _him _than me. After all, he's probably more than willing to be somebody else's experiment."

Jazz retracted her hand. Her eyes radiated hurt, but her tone of voice revealed anger. "I wasn't asking to try and psychoanalyze you Danny. I was asking as a sister whose half-human brother has been going through a lot and went missing for an entire day, only to show up home at one am, looking like shit. And even if I was trying to psychoanalyze you—which I wasn't—you know it's because I care about you and this is the best way I know how to help. So excuse me for showing a little concern."

Danny's head hung, guilt flooding through him. "Sorry. I'm just tired."

Jazz sighed. "Danny, I think you should take it easy. It's almost one am, and I bet you'll hardly get a wink of sleep tonight."

"Not until I find Dani. Not until I know she's safe." Danny adjusted his backpack's strap.

"I'm going downstairs to empty out the thermos."

"Alright, baby brother." Jazz reached out and pulled him into a tight embrace.

Danny managed to wrap his own arms around her.

She surprised him by kissing his forehead. "Good night."

She turned and trudged into her own room.

Danny briefly stopped by his room to drop off his backpack then went back downstairs and towards the lab.

Danny paused at the door, which had been left slightly ajar.

The sound of his mother's voice drifted through the crack.

"My uncle took us in after my father, Daniel, passed. He thought it'd be a good idea to enroll me and my sisters in self-defense classes, for some confidence or in case my mother ever decided to come back for us. Of course, I was the only one to make it all the way to black belt."

Danny blinked in surprise.

His mom was actually talking about her childhood to someone outside the family.

The clone spoke. "Would you ever...forgive her?"

Maddie sighed. "I already have. She came to me and my sister one day, asking us to go back home with her and begging us for forgiveness. I forgave her, but we didn't go back to live with her."

"Why not?" The clone queried. "She's your mother. She gave you life."

"She may've given me life, but that doesn't mean she can take it away. My relationship with my mother is toxic, and I refused to be poisoned by her. I chose to live with people who truly cared about me and treated me right. My mother was just not that person."

Maddie paused. "Sometimes, we feel a sense of obligation to someone. We feel...like we owe them, and so we throw away our happiness and our lives for the wrong people."

There was a long moment of silence.

Danny backed away silently slipping back into his room and leaving them to their profound conversation.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

The smell of chamomile tea flooded Lancer's entire home, instilling a sense of calm in his abode.

Lancer retrieved a mug from his cabinet and poured some honey into the tea, hoping to sweeten away the bitter taste.

The television was on, its volume turned so low that Lancer found it difficult to hear.

The channel had been switched to the After Hours Show where the host and his interviewee—who happened to be a resident of Amity Park—were having a debate about the existence of ghosts.

Danielle was stretched out on the couch. Her head poked out from beneath a beige cotton blanket.

Her eyes were fixated on the screen, though she didn't seem to really be watching the show.

Lancer picked up the mug and set it on the table sitting near her, pulling her away from her brooding state.

"Thanks, Mr. Lancer." The girl sat up straighter and took the mug.

She raised it to her lips and tentatively took a sip.

"You've been quiet all day," Lancer pointed out. "May I ask why you reacted so strongly to..." Lancer paused, careful about his diction. "the incident at the mall."

"It's-" Danielle paused, gaze falling from the TV to the mug. "It's nothing."

Lancer frowned. "Must've been something if it caused you to have a panic attack."

Danielle sighed, a look of exhaustion suddenly falling over her face.

"I'm sorry," Lancer apologized. "It's none of my business. I shouldn't have been prying."

Lancer's gaze wandered back to the television, though he had about as much interest in watching as Danielle did.

There was a long moment of silence.

Lancer didn't expect a response, so it surprised him when he received one.

"Vlad was the one experimenting on me."

Lancer sucked in a breath. He looked at her with incredulity and shock.

"I don't want to talk about it either."

Lancer felt all the anger escape at the sight of her sad, inhumanly green eyes. "I'm sorry that happened to you, Danielle. I truly am."

Lancer switched the channel to a movie.

Danielle finished her tea then once again resumed her former position, stretching out across the couch.

Lancer fetched her some pillows, which she gratefully accepted.

It wasn't until after she fell asleep that something on the television caught his attention.

He turned the volume up in an effort to better hear the announcement. "...Phantom was seen at Oak Drive, today, chased by a herd of fans after what appears to be some sort of battle with another armored ghostly entity. Phantom disappeared before our reporter could catch up to him..."

The video clip showed the teenage ghost running across several houses, dodging a mob of girls.

The cameraman was too far away to grab any good footage, but it was enough to catch a glimpse of a distraught-looking Phantom.

The teenage ghost suddenly disappeared, leaving behind a pair of disappointed fans.

"I have an idea," Lancer blinked, surprised by the thought that had occurred to him.

He opened his mouth to speak to Danielle, but the girl seemed incredibly serene in her repose.

The man reached for the control and turned off the television.

Sharing could wait until the morning when the girl was well-rested and, hopefully, somewhat recovered by the traumatic experience.

Lancer rose to his feet and walked to his room, shutting off the last of the lights.

**A/N: Well, there's the chapter! I must say, I'm rather satisfied with how this chapter came out.**

**Although, I'm sure I may've overlooked a few errors, I think it's pretty good overall.**

**Feedback and reviews are, as always, genuinely appreciated.**

**Thank you so much!**

**-Nycorrall**


	9. Sympathy

**Finally got a computer! And I uploaded all of my previous stories from my flash drive, so I can continue writing!**

**It makes me so excited!**

**Rest assured, now that I have access again, I will be trying my best update periodically.**

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Sympathy.

A loud clatter echoed into Danielle's ears.

Consciousness slammed into her, shoving away any sleep that was left. Danielle leapt to her feet, a sense of alarm waking her up instantaneously.

Energy formed around her closed fists, manifesting itself in a tangible and lethal green glow.

Her eyes immediately snapped to the kitchen.

Lancer stared at her through wide, bewildered eyes.

He raised his palms in an attempt to pacify her. "Sorry! Sorry! I dropped my pot."

Danielle lowered her fists. The energy in her hands dissipated.

"I didn't mean to wake you," Lancer picked up the black pot that she presumed was the one he'd dropped.

Danielle sighed and rubbed her eyes. "What time is it?"

"Eleven," Lancer responded. He smiled.

Danielle glanced down at herself.

She was still wearing her hoodie and jeans from the previous day. "Where is the stuff we bought yesterday?"

"I left it in Em-" he paused and glanced down at the pot in his hands. There was a moment of silence before he looked up at her again. "It's in that extra room of yours. I left the bags on the bed."

Without saying a word, she trudged back into the blue-themed room she was sojourning in.

The girl rummaged through the bags, smiling as she withdrew each of her new belongings.

There weren't very many items, but she was grateful for each one. There were very few things she could call her own.

She crammed all of her clothes into the top drawer of the dresser and set apart her own pair.

When she reemerged from the room, she sported a beanie, a sleeveless jacket that had been tossed over a white tee, and a pair of jeans.

Addison had called her overall preference for clothing 'skater' style.

She slid into the front seat.

Lancer seemed to be busy cooking. The rice in the pot was semi-cooked, and Danielle thought she could smell something meaty wafting from the oven.

"I need to talk to you about something." Lancer announced, lifting his eyes from the food.

Danielle's ears perked up.

He cleared his throat. "I think I may have thought of a way to try and locate your cousin."

"That's awesome!" Danielle felt her heart pounding with excitement, though the professor seemed unusually calm for someone preparing to deliver spectacular new.

"I'm not so sure that it is," Lancer frowned. "The plan is rather risky—dangerous, actually, and we would be relying too heavily on luck."

"Anything is better than nothing." Danielle smiled, placing a hand on her hips.

"Well," Lancer continued. "I just thought that we could keep updated on the news and drive to places where there are Phantom sightings. I'm sure if we could get close enough, Phantom would see you and take you back to your home." He paused, adding, "Or lair or wherever it is superhero ghosts live."

"That's actually not a bad idea," Danielle approved. "Especially considering the amount of times my cousin fights ghosts on a daily basis."

"Alright," Lancer nodded. He motioned to his laptop. "I've already been keeping tabs on the Ghost Sightings page of Amity. Nothing about Phantom yet."

"That's fine," Danielle shrugged.

Maybe things got busier for Danny in the afternoons, or maybe he was having a slow day.

Either way, things seemed promising.

"Alright." Lancer rubbed his palms together. "Let's eat. Then, we figure out how to contact your cousin."

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Danny felt his heart palpitating impossibly fast.

He rubbed his palms on his jeans, smearing the sweat onto the blue fabric, then moved to tap the cool metal of the thermos.

Except for a small indentation it had received from a former battle, the Thermos's texture was perfectly smooth.

Danny inhaled, and pushed against the door.

Cold air breathed against his skin. A sterile scent, which almost successfully masked the smell of other chemicals, greeted his nose.

He trotted down the stairs, holding his breath as he had only recently begun doing each time he entered the lab.

He came to an abrupt halt when he noticed an unexpected person present.

"Jazz?"

The teen looked up.

Danny immediately noticed the Psychology book tucked under her arm, and the contemplative look on his clone's face that most people usually developed after a 'session' from Jazz.

Danny folded his arms, maintaining a composure that he hoped appeared to be nonchalance; although, his clone's presence still made him uneasy. "He's awake all of two days, and you're already psychoanalyzing him."

"I was intrigued," Jazz admitted. "Besides, as I told your identical here—"

"My identical?" Danny echoed, not even attempting to hide his incredulity.

"—I just wanted to talk." Jazz squared her shoulders. "And we're done." Her aqua eyes flew to the clone. "For now," she added. "Don't forget what I told you."

The clone nodded slowly, still seemingly lost in thought.

The redhead waltzed past Danny, her incredibly long golden red hair trailing behind her.

"So what were you two talking about?" Danny queried, tentative.

"Nothing that concerns you." The clone's expression made an astoundingly quick transition from pensive to defensive.

"Geez, sorry," Danny grimaced. "I was just curious."

"Speaking of curiosity…" The clone straightened to a stand. He paused then approached the glass wall.

The clone's fingers traced over the speaker that had been built into the confinement.

His hand dropped and his darkened chartreuse eyes wander back to Danny. "How is it that your mother and your sister have different shades of red hair? I thought kid's hair colors were supposed to be like their parents."

Danny hesitated, deliberating over whether or not to reply with a sardonic remark or simply providing him with a candid response.

He settled for the latter. "Not always. My mom's parents were both gingers. My grandma had this bright red hair like Jazz's, and my grandpa had, like, this darker shade of red hair. Almost brown like my mom's." Danny paused and cast an inquisitive gaze on his counterpart. "Speaking of hair..."

His clone smirked in amusement, knowing where Danny's words were headed.

"Your hair is looking a little grayer than it used to be."

The clone shrugged. "A side effect of dying, I guess."

His response caused Danny to freeze up, eyes widening in shock.

The clone scowled. His unstable changes in emotion left Danny reeling.

"How about you take your pity and shove it up your ass?" The clone jabbed a finger at him. His finger pressed against the glass. "It's not like my death will bring you people any misfortune."

Danny glared in return. "How about you stop sulking and feeling sorry for yourself, huh? Do you want to spend your last days completely alone, as nothing but a failed experiment?"

The clone's mouth dropped open, his eyes went wide and round with stupefaction.

Danny could see that the remark hit home. He pushed it further, pressing his suppressed emotions into every word. "You know, since you've woken up, all you've done is try to hurt the people who've been trying to help you. I bet you were even trying to somehow hurt Jazz while she was in here trying to help in her own weird way." Danny stepped closer. "Everyone else has taken it because they think you have a right to be angry. But, guess what? Despite all the shit you've done to us, we're still trying to save your life, so stop bitching and start showing some appreciation."

The clone didn't seem to have a response.

Satisfied, Danny turned around. The Thermos fit perfectly into the flush system, emptying it out and sending the captives back into the Ghost Portal.

Without another glance in his doppelganger's direction, he reverted to his ghost form and phased out of the building, hoping that his search for Danielle would be distraction enough from all the problems the clone had dropped onto him.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

"Lord Of The Flies!" Lancer harrumphed as he dropped onto the couch. "I cannot believe what a busy ghost Mr. Phantom is."

"He's not usually this busy," Danielle sighed, tossing her backpack onto the recliner.

"I would certainly hope not! I would think even ghosts need some time to rest and recuperate." Lancer rubbed his eyes. "We followed that boy all over town. Speedy young fellow."

"He sure is," Danielle made her way to the kitchen. She tucked a strand of silver hair behind her ear and scavenged through the fridge for anything edible. "I'm sure we'll catch up to him tomorrow."

Lancer shook his head. "Maybe tomorrow afternoon we will. I have school tomorrow."

"School?" The orange she had discovered fell out of her grip. She caught it before it hit the ground. "As in," she paused, suddenly hopeful, "Casper High?"

"Yes, ma'am." Lancer peered up at her, taking note of her piqued interest. His brows furrowed in confusion. "What is it?"

"I-um," Danielle paused. "Phantom has...connections at the school."

"And by connections I'm assuming you mean friends?" Lancer cocked a brow at her. "It certainly would explain the occasional ghost attack on the school."

"Um," Danielle bit her lip. "Well, I wouldn't call them friends, really-"

"Uh-huh," Lancer's tone revealed disbelief.

"My point is," Danielle continued, "there are people there who might know Phantom personally. Someone who might deliver a message and possibly even get him to come get me immediately."

"I suppose I could take you along with me." Lancer nodded, contemplative. "It would be perfect. We're going to have a gathering at the gymnasium. A guest speaker will be giving a speech to the seniors about their futures, and the rest of the underclassmen will be at an assembly with the principal to go over the changes for the upcoming year." Lancer tapped the table. "The schedule will be different. You can meet with Mr. Phantom's acquaintances during the assembly. Most of the teachers will be in the gym. There will be no one else patrolling the halls except for the security guard, but I can make sure he won't bother you."

Danielle clapped. Her heart swelled with overwhelming elation.

Lancer looked at Danielle, weary. "I just ask that you try and avoid putting the rest of the students in any immediate danger. Keeping those kids safe is a priority, and I know how many ghosts you and Phantom have a tendency to attract."

"Oh, please." Danielle shrugged. "Danny and I have been there a million times. Nothing dangerous ever happens." She paused, adding, "not usually."

Lancer chuckled. "I just wish we would've thought of that before taking that ridiculous trip across town."

He rose to his feet and popped his back. "Alright. Well, the sooner we get to bed, the better. I get up rather early in the morning, Miss Phantom. I would advise you to rest."

"Uh-huh," Danielle nodded dismissively, though she couldn't even fathom sleep. He excitement was making her restless.

Lancer disappeared into his room.

Danielle, stomach still grumbling for food, waltzed back into the kitchen and fished out an enormous bowl from Lancer's cabinets.

Once the bowl was all but overflowing with cereal and milk, Danielle pulled out an album from Lancer's bookshelf.

If she was going to leave soon, she figured she might as well continue her snooping, while munching on a much needed snack.

The first album was centered on Lancer and his stunning wife.

Many unfamiliar faces appeared in the photos. The only other person she recognized in the antiquated photos was a younger-looking Addison.

The pictures revealed social gatherings and other images showed Madison either painting or playing a violin.

The next album was like a timeline that gave Danielle a vague overview of the educator's life: graduation, an engagement party, and a beautiful wedding.

The last image was of the jubilant couple standing right outside the cute wooden house Danielle was currently in.

Lancer's arm was wrapped around Madison's, while her hands settled over an unusually swollen belly.

Curious, Danielle fished out the next album, which was labeled 'Our Precious Girl.'

To Danielle's surprise, there was a picture of a beaming Madison, in a hospital bed, holding a sleeping infant in her arms.

This album, unlike the former, was a timeline of another member of the Lancer family.

A golden-haired, teal-eyed infant smiled up at Danielle.

She turned the pages and traveled up the little Lancer girl's years: the baby waddling in a photo labeled 'first steps,' a toddler playing with her father in a grand backyard, a five-year-old holding her mother's hand, the girl sitting on a bike, an elementary school girl holding up an A+ paper, a skinny blonde tween grinning at Lancer's side and holding up an incredibly well drawn sketch of a violin.

The final images revealed a happy sixteen-year-old Lancer who had inherited Madison's beauty and Lancer's warm, teal eyes. Her image was surrounded by photographs of a happy family.

Lancer's voice caused Danielle to jump in surprise.

"Her name's Emily. Emily Lancer."

The man had, at some point, reemerged from the room—this time dressed in a plain tee shirt and blue pajama pants.

Lancer's teal eyes revealed a deep melancholy that stirred unwanted emotions in Danielle.

"She's, um," Danielle swallowed. "She's beautiful."

"Mm," Lancer nodded. "She was also very exuberant. Just like her mother."

Danielle glanced back at the album. "May I," she began tentatively, "ask what happened to them?"

Lancer sighed and slid into the chair behind her.

He closed his eyes, hands rubbing over his lids.

"There was..." He paused, attempting to steady his wavering voice. "We were on our way back from an art exhibit several miles away from here. I was driving." Lancer paused, taking a deep breath. "I got distracted."

He paused.

Another breath.

"I, uh, almost hit a guy on the bike, and I swerved at the last minute." Lancer pressed his lips together.

The silence stretched out for a few minutes. "I hit a lamp post."

"My wife didn't make it," Lancer finally concluded.

Danielle placed a hand over her chest, attempting to abate the sympathetic sadness that swelled within her heart. "When...did this happen?"

Lancer sighed. "Six years ago." He leaned back, finally meeting Danielle's gaze. "When Emily found out what happened to Madison, she snapped. She and her mother had a close bond, and she blamed me for the accident. I haven't seen her since she left after her graduation. She's twenty-two, now."

Danielle paused. "Have you tried calling her since she left?"

"No," Lancer admitted. He bit his lip. "I...just assumed she never wanted to hear from me again. I..." Lancer paused, eyes falling to his hands. "I don't expect her to forgive me."

"Well, things change," Danielle offered. "It's been a long time. Maybe she's had a change of heart."

"If she has, she would've called."

Danielle paused. "Maybe she's waiting for you to do it first."

Lancer chuckled, dryly. "I doubt it."

"You never know unless you try."

Lancer's gaze snapped to hers. He gave her a sad smile that touched her deeply. "Sometimes I forget just how much the teachers can learn from their students."

Danielle frowned, perplexed. "But I'm not your student."

Lancer laughed, this time a genuine laugh that made Danielle smile.

"No, Miss Phantom. You certainly are not." Lancer's beamed. "You speak words of wisdom. I'll heed your advice. Once we reunite you with your family, I will work to rebuild mine."

"Good for you." Danielle smiled and picked up her now-empty plate.

Lancer rose to his feet, gathering the albums in his arms. "These don't need to be hidden away in my bookshelf anymore," he commented, setting them on the glass table by the couch.

Danielle smiled and padded into the kitchen.

A sharp pain at her core caused her to double over.

The bowl slipped out of her hands and clattered onto the floor.

Milk spilled across the clean tiles.

Danielle's arms automatically curled around her navel.

The feel of a knife cutting through her caused her to drop to her knees.

Lancer jumped in fear. "Danielle!"

Dani felt the ectoplasmic energy gather at her middle, slowly expanding outward.

The rings appeared, though they moved at an agonizingly deliberate pace, as if a part of her was trying to hold it back.

A scorching sensation swept across her body, traveling in the same direction as her rings.

The burning flooded her body, wiping away every thought from her mind.

Lancer's muffled voice sounded a million miles away, making it impossible for her to register any words.

Black consumed her blurring vision, and everything went dark for several moments before unconsciousness relieved her of any pain.

**A/N: Yes!**

**I'm so happy that this is finally up!**

**Be warned, not everyone will be able to post a review.**

**I replaced the previous Writer's Note chapter with this new chapter, so anyone who had already commented on it may not be able to do so again**

**Unless, of course, it is posted under Anonymous.**

** ..**

**Merry Christmas everyone!**

**Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy Yuletide! Happy Three Kings Day!**

**Many blessings to all, and happy holidays!**

**:D**


	10. Wounds

10\. Wounds

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Danielle awoke to the feel of soft fabric pressing against her cheek.

She rose to a sitting position.

The blanket that had been draped over her slid off.

Sweat cooled her unusually warm skin, and a pleasant hum of energy tingled in her veins.

Her attention was immediately drawn to the teacher who had housed her for the past couple of days.

The man was on his knees, wiping away at the white liquid that sat on the tiled floor.

Danielle attempted to speak up, but her dry throat made an unusual sound, preventing her from forming any coherent words.

She cleared her throat, capturing Lancer's attention in the process.

He glanced up from the mess she'd made and looked at her.

"Danielle?" He questioned as he steadily rose to his feet.

"Mr. Lancer," she cleared her throat again. "Can I have some water?"

The man jumped into action, rushing to the fridge and presenting her with a glass full of water.

She downed it quickly.

The liquid spilled into her mouth and ran down her throat, instantly refreshing her.

"So, it's really you?" Lancer queried.

Danielle put the glass down and looked at Lancer.

The man was staring at her with cynicism, uncertainty.

"Of course it's me." Danielle responded, befuddled by the man's expression. "Why would you-"

A strand of black hair fell into her line of vision.

She paused, realization hitting her.

The girl leapt out of the couch, nearly running over Lancer in the process.

"Danielle, wait-"

She dashed to her room and into the bathroom.

A face appeared in the mirror. A face she'd been hoping Lancer would never see.

The face of a dark-haired, clear-eyed human.

Danielle groaned. "Oh, no."

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Emergency Aid paraphernalia were scattered around the floor. The doors to the cabinets were still open.

Danny fumbled with the gauze. His teeth were clamped over one end of the white fabric in an effort to unroll it without the use of his injured arm. It was a nasty cut, starting at the bottom of his palm and stretching across his forearm. His unusual, red and green-flecked blood oozed from the gaping wound, which still burned from the cleansing it had recently undergone.

Danny wound the gauze around his right arm, once again using his teeth to tie it off.

He sighed and rested his head back against the wall, eyes momentarily fluttering closed.

The exhaustion was beginning to take its toll on him, and he was extremely tempted to allow himself to succumb to the much-needed sleep.

The sound of his own voice startled him out of his semi-consciousness. "You look like hell."

He grit his teeth and pried his eyes open.

The clone was looking directly at him, arms crossed and eyebrows cocked. A book rested on his lap.

Danny sighed. "I thought you were sleeping."

"I was until you came along and made that huge racket." The clone shrugged. "Figured I shouldn't allow _you _the luxury of sleeping, either."

Danny's eyes fluttered closed. A breath of air escaped his lips. "Fair enough."

"Isn't it ironic?" The clone smirked. "No matter how much I sleep, the exhaustion doesn't go away. You, on the other hand, are exhausted because you choose _not _to sleep. Now you look identically as shitty as I do."

"Yeah," Danny glared at him. "Hilarious."

"Don't get all pissy on me." The clone folded his arms across his chest. "_You're _the one who's abusing his perfectly good health. Ungrateful bastard. You do realize some people around here are _dying _and don't have the luxury of possessing a thriving body."

Danny glared at him. "Not that I owe you an explanation, but finding Danielle is my first priority. And if that means losing a few hours of sleep or skipping meals, then so be it." Danny straightened up, their identical glowing gazes meeting. "So, mind your own damn business."

The clone dropped his gaze and, when their eyes met again, the clone's eyes were filled with an emotion Danny couldn't quite figure out.

"Danielle." The clone paused, thoughtful. "She's your...clone, right?"

"_Yes,_" Danny hissed out, feeling increasingly annoyed.

"Why do you care so much about her?"

"I don't know," Danny snapped back, sardonically. "Maybe because she's part of something called a _family._"

"But she's your clone," the teen reiterated, seeming genuinely confounded.

Danny's eyes widened. "Dude, _you're_ a clone, too. What of it?"

The clone winced but quickly bounced back to the subject. "You're missing my point. My question is why do you care so much about some experiment gone wrong? I mean, you call her family but she is just a clone."

Danny felt the frustration ebb away as realization sunk in, and he felt stupid for not having realized it sooner.

His clone must've felt a certain empathy towards the young female clone he hadn't met yet. After all, they shared something in common: they were both Danny's clones and both results of what Vlad considered failed experiments, which meant Danielle was not just some hope for survival.

She was someone who was in the same situation as the clone. Someone who understood and could, quite possibly, become the clone's family.

"Danielle and I have a complicated relationship." Danny sighed. "But she's been more than just a clone to me."

Danny sighed and reminisced in his history with Danielle. "Dani and I connect in a strange way. Maybe it's because she was created from my DNA or something. I dunno. Whatever the case, I care about her more than anyone will ever know. That's why I have to find her, make sure Vlad doesn't try to kill her or worse. On top of that, I need to make sure neither of you two die on my watch." He paused, adding, "Which is actually what I should be doing now instead of sitting here, talking to you, and wasting precious time."

He rose to his feet.

The clone fell silent; his sight fell to the red stain seeping into Danny's gauze.

Danny tucked his arm out of the clone's view.

The clone gave him a look, but Danny ignored it, along with the dizzy spell that struck him.

He pushed against the floor, flew off, and fazed through the ceiling.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Danielle emerged from the room to find Lancer sitting at the table, filling out a crossword puzzle and munching on some chips.

"I guess I owe you an explanation."

At the sound of her voice, Lancer's aqua eyes drew away from the crossword puzzle and settled on Danielle.

He sighed and set the pen down on the table.

"Danielle, you don't owe me anything. If you don't feel comfortable talking to me about this, then it's okay. You don't have to say anything."

"So...you're not curious?" Danielle's brow quirked upward.

"I am," Lancer admitted. "But, like I said, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Danielle nodded and allowed for a few moments of silence before speaking. "I'm half human."

Lancer gave her a look of surprise.

"That's why I can transform from human form to ghost form."

He nodded. "That explains a lot, I supposed." Lancer paused and pressed his lips together.

He seemed inquisitive but hesitant to ask.

"What?" Danielle demanded.

"I just..." Lancer paused. "Did the experiment...are the experiments what made you...half ghost?"

"No." Danielle sighed. "The experiment was to figure out how it was possible for me to be half-ghost and half-human. Vlad," she paused. "Wants to make more of me. He wants an army, I think. Or maybe just someone to call his own. I don't know, really."

Lancer furrowed his brows. "So, then...how did you become...a hybrid?"

Danielle fell silent.

"Sorry," Lancer responded. "None of my business."

Danielle looked down at her hands.

Curiosity prickled at her.

"What is it?" Lancer enquired.

"Vlad's experiments messed up my transformations and powers. But..." she paused. "I think I'm re-stabilizing."

She turned and walked towards the front door.

"Where are you going?"

Danielle looked at her hands again. "I'm gonna see if my powers work."

She swung open the door.

The fresh scent of the earth invaded her sense of smell, bringing a smile to her face.

Fresh green vegetation that surrounded Lancer's property seemed to be vibrant with life.

The sun was preparing to set, casting a beautiful golden glow over the land.

Trees whistled happily, their leaves ruffled by the singing wind.

The day was filled with promise, infusing Danielle with hope.

She glanced over her shoulder and noticed Lancer standing by the door, his eyes lit with intrigue.

"Stay back," she ordered. "Just in case."

Lancer nodded.

Danielle walked out into Lancer's large parking area, keeping as far away from his decrepit car as possible.

She stuck her hand through the floor, summoning and maintaining her intangibility.

Then she tried invisibility.

She quickly moved on to ecto-energy manifestations: energy balls, ghost rays, ghost shields, and more.

Every power she conjured worked magnificently, even though she was still in her human state.

The transformation to ghost form elated her when she found no pain or strain accompanied by it.

She grabbed her silver locks and admired them, then ran up to Lancer's car to find glowing green eyes reflected in the window.

Slowly, she lifted into the air, keeping in mind the sense of weightlessness.

She hovered a few inches from the ground, then moved up a few feet.

Confident, Danielle shot upward.

The wind pulled at her free hair, slapping it against her skin.

Normally, she'd keep on a low ponytail to keep her hair from whipping about, but she was so delighted she didn't mind the stinging effects her lashing locks.

Strangely, however, she could feel gravity's effect slowly becoming stronger.

Resisting against it proved to be mildly laborious.

She paused, glancing down below. The valley surrounding Lancer's house was breathtaking.

Colorful flowers freckled the green stretch of land. Each house was miles away from the other, providing residents with acres upon acres of earth to claim as their own.

Danielle could see why Lancer and his wife had chosen to live so far out in the country. The area was not only reserved but it was also quaint and beautiful with vivacious greenery to bring peace and security to its inhabitants.

Danielle hovered there for several long moments, drinking in the scenery until the pull of the ground became too arduous.

She slowly sunk down.

"Didn't think you'd be back," Lancer commented as she gently landed.

"My powers are back," Danielle confirmed, accompanying him back to his household. "But flying is too tiring. I guess I'm still sorta recovering. So, I need to rest. Besides, why wouldn't I come back? It's only one more night." She grinned. "And you'd miss me too much."

Lancer chuckled. "I would indeed." He sighed and sunk into the couch, wearily rubbing his eyes. "I've forgotten what it's like to have company."

He sighed and gave Danielle a sad smile. "You remind me of my daughter, you know. She was stubborn, too."

"Have you tried calling her?" Dani prodded, sinking into the seat across from him.

Lancer shook his head. "I said I'd wait until after you left. Besides, she wouldn't want to speak to me."

"So you _haven't _tried calling her?" Danielle raised an eyebrow, incredulous. "Sounds to me like keeping her at a distance is more your choice than hers."

Lancer blinked at her. "She wouldn't forgive me for what I've done to her mother. And she shouldn't have to."

"You both need to forgive you." Danielle bit back, suddenly angry. "And you both need to stop acting like idiots. You know, not everyone has a family or a home to return to. The closest thing I've got is Danny, and he's not even really my cou-"

She paused and swallowed. "He's all the family I have, and I can't even be with him. _You_ have a chance to be a part of your daughter's life, and you're wasting it."

Lancer stared at her, silent and solemn.

He exhaled through his nose. "You're right Danielle."

He placed a hand on her shoulder, drawing her gaze to his.

"We'll find him," he assured her. "Tomorrow."

:~:~:~:~:~:~:


	11. So, so, so sorry!

My Apologies!

I am so, so, so, so _so _sorry about the mix-up and the confusion.

I see that many of you read that chapter that included Paulina in the storyline, and many, many, **many** thanks to those of you who realized that chapter did not belong in this story.

Were it not for you guys, the mistake may have well gone by unnoticed by me.

That chapter was supposed to have been posted on my story Paranormal, which is a Paulina/Danny fanfiction.

Again, sorry about the confusion. Last night or, rather, this morning, my computer was so slow that I literally fell asleep in between posting chapters and, in my sleep deprived state, made the foolish error that could have so easily been avoided had I waited until the following day to post it.

You'll be glad to know that I moved the Paulina chapter to its corresponding story.

Again, I am terribly sorry.

To clarify, **the Paulina chapter was **_**not**_** meant to be in To Live and Learn.**

With much regret and much appreciation,

and hopes that the readers will be mercifully forgiving,

—Nycorrall


	12. Chapter 11: Reunion

As you all may know, I recently posted the chapter of another story into To Live and Learn.

In case you didn't know, this error has been mended.

**Please re-read the previous chapter!**

It provides a detailed explanation of what I did wrong and clarification for those who were confused by my mistake.

To make up for my apology, I decided to update this chapter.

Again, **please re-read the previous chapter **before reading this one.

Thanks!

And, again, _so, so, so _sorry about the mix-up!

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

11\. Departing

"I've never seen this place empty before," Danielle pointed out as they walked through the corridors.

The school was silent, an unusual contrast to the usual bustle and liveliness of bodies pressing against each other as students would shuffle between classes, laughing and goofing off.

Even during class times, the halls were never completely empty. There was generally at least one other person present and, if not, one could hear sound of teachers' lectures slipping through the walls.

Now, the place was silent. The only sound was of their footsteps echoing down the hall. Danielle struggled to keep up with Lancer's long strides.

The emptiness reminded Danielle of an eerie desolate town she'd come across during on of her many travels.

She remembered it had been deceitfully named a 'ghost town,' despite the fact that there were clearly no phantoms in the area.

The name had bothered her, and eventually led her to the realization that not all humans were aware that there really were ghosts existing in a different dimension.

The emptiness and lifelessness of the decrepit town was something Danielle wasn't used to, and the brief excursion had left her feeling unsettled for some days after.

Although the school didn't unsettle her the way the ghost town had, she came to the conclusion that the school must seem creepier during the later hours of the night, and she wondered if the ancient building possessed its own ghost stories or legends, though her ghost sense hadn't alerted her of any spiritual presence.

Yet.

"No one is ever here this early." Lancer answered. He glanced over his shoulder and looked at Danielle. "Don't worry. There'll be people here soon enough."

Danielle nodded and hooked a thumb beneath the strap of her bag.

She hadn't thought to bring her new bag with her, but Lancer had advised her to do so, in the case that she ran into Phantom and got to be taken home with him immediately.

In addition, sporting the backpack would allow her to blend in with the rest of the students once they arrived.

The pair padded along the hall, pausing briefly to stop by Lancer's office to pick up some paperwork.

He led her to the second floor of the building where, after scurrying along through several halls, they finally arrived at a deserted classroom.

Danielle settled into one of the seats, wondering why on earth human youths would consign themselves to such a monotonous institution, eager to discover the answer.

"Alright, Danielle," Lancer began. "The first half of the day is going to go through very quickly. We're gonna go from first period through fourth period all at once, so classes will be shortened. Then, we're gonna have lunch and after that all the students and teachers will go to the assembly. Many of the students will be absent so don't be too disappointed if your contacts don't appear today."

"So, what do we do until then?" She inquired.

Lancer shrugged. "We wait for the students to come."

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Danielle waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

At six, students began to arrive at the school. By seven, there was a significantly large crowd of teenagers wandering around the building.

After eight, students periodically streamed in and out of the classroom.

The next three hours were long and never-ending.

Danielle sat in the back of the classroom. Having chosen to abstain from using her powers for the time being, Danielle was required to be visible to the other students.

Lancer would introduce her as a potential transfer student visiting from another school. A few people tried to speak to her, but she rejected all conversation, choosing to seclude herself as much as possible.

Lancer's lectures occasionally piqued her interest (although this didn't reveal why so many kids chose to spend all their time at school), so she'd quietly listen to the teacher, but her attention would constantly wander.

Where was Danny? What was he doing? Was there a chance he would make it to his classes? Would she run into Valerie? What if Danny never showed up? What would they do once they got reunited? Where would they go? How would they get rid of Vlad? Where would she go once her problem was solved?

Third period finally rolled around, and still no Danny.

By this point, Danielle was worried. She'd seen Lancer's roster and had learned that Danny had three of his four classes with Lancer.

His desk, along with several others, had, so far, remained empty.

Danielle could feel disappointment settling in as she glanced at the clock.

It was officially time for fourth period, and still no Danny. Students began streaming in and, for a moment, Danielle could feel despair take hold.

All hope slowly ebbed away until two familiar faces emerged from the mass of students entering the last class of the day.

A pair of unusual and striking amethyst eyes caught her anticipative gaze.

Danielle's heart skipped a beat.

Now was her chance.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Danny groggily opened his eyes.

Sleep weighed heavily on him, making it difficult for him to rise to full consciousness.

The first thing he registered was a ceiling—white and blank.

The air smelt of antiseptic and chemicals.

His muddled mind was slowly beginning to make sense of everything.

He was in a room.

He didn't remember ever having been inside a building.

But where had he been?

He closed his eyes and re-opened them.

His memories slowly resurfaced, in spite of his semi-conscious state.

He had been out on patrol. Skulker had attacked then retreated. Danny had gone home to clean the wound. He'd talked to or, better said, argued with his clone and then had flown back outside to continue his search for Danielle.

And then? He wondered, but that was all the information his memory offered.

A sound startled him into full consciousness. The young hybrid blinked rapidly and sat up.

He was in the lab.

Maddie was putting something up into a cabinet, not yet aware of her awakened son.

His clone was sitting on the ground, cross-legged, and snuggled comfortably in a blanket cocoon, several feet away from his containment unit where he was supposed to be.

The clone gripped a mug and tentatively brought it to his lips.

His glowing green eyes snapped to Danny. Dark eyebrows flew up in surprise.

"Danny, you're awake." Maddie turned to her son.

She brushed her copper hair behind her shoulder, eyes lighting with concern.

Her hair had grown quite long, Danny noticed. Longer than she normally liked.

"It's about time," the clone muttered, taking another sip of his steaming drink.

Danny furrowed his brows at the clone.

The feel of Maddie's warm palm on his forehead startled him.

He looked up at her, wondering what she was doing.

"Just checking your temperature," she replied, though he hadn't verbalized his question.

"Wh-" Danny paused to clear his hoarse throat. "What happened?"

"You tell me." She folded her arms across her chest. "Jack was using his tracker to try to find Danielle when he found you stuck in our neighbor's tree, passed out."

"What?" Danny blinked.

"Danny," Maddie sighed. "These late night patrols have got to stop. And you need to start showing up for your meals. You may be a hero, but you're not invulnerable. Even full-blooded ghosts know they need to rest and re-energize."

"I told you," the clone jabbed between drinks.

"What..." Danny blinked. "What is he doing out of his cage?"

"Excuse me," the clone frowned. "I'm not some animal that needs to be _caged_."

Maddie ignored him. "I let him out of his containment cell because he needed some fresh air."

"And some hot chocolate," the clone smirked and took another sip.

"What time is it?" Danny demanded.

"Ten," Maddie replied.

"What?" Danny blinked. "I have to be at school!"

He moved to jump from his makeshift gurney, but Maddie put a hand on him, stopping him from going anywhere. "No, you don't."

Danny looked at her, befuddled.

"I called your school and told them you were sick."

"Then I need to be out looking for Danielle."

"Absolutely not." Maddie snapped, her eyes hardening. "Your father's already on it. You, sir, need to rest."

"But-"

"No buts, mister." She bit back. "You stay here and rest."

Danny frowned and folded his arms across his chest. "This sucks," he snapped.

"I'm sure it does. But your health-" she turned and jabbed a finger at the clone.

The clone's eyes widened in response. He leaned back, surprised about being brought into the conversation.

"—and his health—" she turned back to Danny, "are my biggest priority right now. So you two are gonna suck it up and rest. No heroics for you," she pointed at Danny then turned and did the same to the clone who shrank away from her frustration, "and no shenanigans from you." The woman brought her hands together in front of her chest in what appeared to be a prayer gesture. "I want a peaceful atmosphere."

She placed her hands on her hips, her withering glare alternating between the two phantoms. "Now wait right here until I finish your soups."

She turned and headed for the stairs, briefly pausing to glare at them before going up. "And you two better get along."

She pressed her lips into a thin line and exited the room, leaving the two genetic anomalies alone.

Danny sighed and flopped back onto the mattress, glaring hard at the ceiling.

He was still wallowing in his anger when the clone finally spoke up.

"You're an idiot. You don't deserve what you have."

Danny sat up and looked at his clone. The other Phantom didn't seem angry. In fact, it seemed like he was simply stating the truth of a matter.

Still, Danny took it as a personal offense. "_You _need to butt out of things that don't have anything to do with you."

"I'm just saying." The clone shrugged. "You're mad because you don't think she's being fair when, really, she's just doing what she does 'cuz she's worried about you."

"Yeah?" Danny countered. "Well…" He paused, trying to conjure up some retort, but—as much as he hated to admit it—the clone had a point.

He laid back down and sighed, weary.

"Your family came to talk to me." The clone continued, as if Danny really cared about what he had to say.

"Oh?"

"Your mom told me about your uncle David."

There was a moment of silence. "I know." Danny finally replied. "I overheard a little bit of your conversation the other night. I heard her talking about him." He paused. "She hardly ever talks about him."

"Your…" the clone paused and made a face, "_dad _did, too. Wanted to apologize for everything that happened."

The clone remained silent for a few moments. His expression softened. "Your sister talked to me, too. She made me feel a little bit better. Talked to me about...life. Death. Identity. Family. Love." He paused, momentarily. "I...I haven't been around for very long. And I probably won't be around much longer." Another pause.

This time, Danny met the clone's steady gaze.

"I don't like you, but your family...I care about them." The clone shrugged. "Well, not so much your dad, but he's alright, too, I guess." He sighed. "My point is you need to start treating them right. If I had been able to stick around longer, I would make sure they were not just safe, but happy. And you should, too."

"Look, dude-" Danny turned to glare at his clone but stopped himself from snapping. His clone's lips were deathly white, his cheeks sunk in, and the bags under his eyes seemed to have darkened.

"I..." Danny frowned. "You're right. I've been so spread thin lately, I've forgotten to take time and take care of my family." He glanced at his ashen clone and sighed. "But you shouldn't talk like that. There's still a chance you might be saved."

The clone contested. "Not likely."

"But-" Danny paused, having been interrupted by a familiar buzzing in his pocket.

He glanced at the phone and his heart immediately picked up its pace.

He snapped the phone open and thrust it onto his ear.

Sam's voice rang through the phone. _"Hello? Danny?"_

"Sam!" Danny blinked. "Hey, sorry I didn't call you earlier. I was gonna tell you I wasn't gonna come to scho-"

"_It's okay."_ She cut in. _"That's not why I'm calling. Jazz already told us you wouldn't be here today, but Tucker and I found something."_

"What?" Danny blinked.

"_Danny,"_ Sam breathed. _"We found Danielle."_

For a moment, Danny was stunned.

And then a swell of joy surged from his core.

"Oh, my god! That's awesome!" Danny whooped. "Okay. I'll be right there!"

"_Danny, you're not supposed to leave your-"_

Danny slammed his phone shut then turned to reveal the exciting news to his clone.

He didn't even manage out a single word before his breath was cut off.

"Hey!" He flung forward.

The clone was on the floor, convulsing. His eyes had rolled to the back of his head. His mouth was open as he struggled to gasp in some air.

The mug was on the floor, its contents spilling across the floor.

Maddie appeared from behind Danny, startling him with a tone of urgency. "Danny, help me!"

She quickly gathered the clone's legs and, without another command from his mother, Danny helped.

Together they lifted the spasming clone and struggled to carry him back to his containment cell.

Danny held the clone down as his mother quickly gathered her equipment.

She strapped an oxygen mask over the clone's mouth and began tapping buttons on the machine he was hooked into.

A green puff of gas erupted in the mask, the clone inhaled it and quickly settled down.

Danny relaxed, but his mother didn't.

"Mom?" Danny looked up at her worriedly.

The woman was already setting up an IV bag and pumping some sedatives into his clone's body.

"This isn't good," his mother began worriedly. "He's deteriorating too fast. I don't know if he'll survive the night. He'll be lucky if he lives another day."

"Mom," Danny began. "Sam found Danielle. I have to go to the school. If Dani can help him-"

"Go," Danny's mom ordered. "And hurry."

:~:~:~:~:~:~:


	13. Chapter 12: Together

**I must begin by apologizing for the _exceedingly_ long delay in posting this chapter.**

**I was taking a challenging course this past semester that took up most of my time, and today I finally finished my finals for the fall. (Talk about alliteration.)**

**The story will continue on with Lancer and Danielle's side of the story, and we will work our towards the remaining chapters from there.**

**And, now, after a brief and unintended hiatus, Chapter 12.**

… ~ : ~ …

12\. Together

… ~ : ~ …

Lancer re-entered his office carrying the enormously large bag of McDonald's.

He hadn't been sure whether purchasing such a ridiculous amount of food was necessary. After all, Danielle had disappeared during the fourth period, having found—or so Lancer presumed since he hadn't heard from her recently—Phantom's contacts.

He hadn't found her before lunch, but he'd decided to go out and retrieve some food anyway, making sure to buy enough for her, although he wasn't sure he'd even see her again.

He set the bag on the table and sank into his seat.

He hadn't minded having spent extra on what could potentially be wasted food. He was more than happy to go beyond above and beyond to maintain the child in good health.

Even so, he was already feeling the sadness weighing on him. Danielle had more than likely taken off with her friends or her cousin without so much as a glance back.

It was not unusual, he thought, for children to forget about the educators as time went by.

But this one was an unusual and special case.

He'd become endeared with the young hybrid girl whose attitude about life utterly reminded him so much of the daughter he'd lost so long ago.

The girl was chirpy and loud and simultaneously silent and reserved, an unusual personality juxtaposition that his daughter Emily had also possessed.

"Mr. Lancer!"

The shout was unexpected, and the appearance of his guest startled the man out of his musings.

Danielle appeared at the doorway, panting from exhaustion, cheeks rosy from running.

"I was looking for you all over the place!" She sighed in that exaggerated way teenagers often did and plopped into one of the two seats across from his desk.

"I found one of Danny's friends." She grinned brilliantly. "She got a hold of him and he's on his way over here. We're gonna meet by the Janitor's closet after the assembly. I came back to say goodbye."

"That's excellent, Danielle." Lancer responded with a smile that was as sad as it was happy.

"You brought McDonald's?" Danielle queried, eyeing the food.

"Enough for both of us," Lancer proudly responded with a smile.

"Awesome!" Danielle cheered as she began pulling out the boxed foods.

"So," she briefly gestured at a photograph of Lancer dressed as a woman. "Are you going to explain that picture to me?"

Lancer chuckled, fishing his own burger out from the bag. "That story is a good one. It happened about a year before my wife passed." He paused to munch on his burger, then continued. "My wife, as I've told you, was a very spontaneous woman who enjoyed challenging my male ego." He chuckled at the memory. "We made this bet…."

And so they talked. The rest of the hour was spent in conversation alternating between the two.

Danielle spoke of her adventures in the Ghost Zone and Lancer would offer her some stories of his more mundane past.

He hadn't understood her fascination with his dull stories until then, but he nevertheless told them, more than happy to verbally reminisce with a starry-eyed listener.

The meal ended soon and the time came to part ways. The two walked out into the hall as the last of the students made their way towards the gymnasium.

Danielle surprised him with a hug. "Thanks, Mr. Lancer. For everything."

"No," Lancer replied, returning the embrace. "Thank you for bringing a little joy back into my life."

Danielle stepped back and smiled up at him. "Don't forget to call your daughter. If there's anything I've learned from traveling is that nothing is more important than family."

"I will," Lancer vowed.

"Goodbye, Mr. Lancer." Danielle smiled and they paused for one more hug.

And with a wave, the girl took off down the hall.

Lancer remained standing there for some time after she left. He stood there for such a long time, that when he finally brought himself to head back to the gymnasium, the classrooms and halls were completely empty.

As expected, he was one of the last people to arrive. Students were already sitting on bleachers and seats. Announcers were standing on the makeshift podium that had been set up in the center of the basketball court.

Lancer took his place in the back, standing near the Exit, beside Anna Price, a fellow faculty member and close friend of his.

"Your late," Anna poked at him, smiling. "How unusual for mister Always-On-Time."

"I had something to do," Lancer replied, vaguely. He pulled a smile to his face. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing. Just Principal Ishiyama giving the usual speech." Anna crossed her arms. "She was looking for you earlier. I told her you had some important business with a student."

"Really?" Lancer blinked. "What did she need me for?"

"Nothing important. She just wanted someone to do an introduction for the mayor at the Seniors' assembly."

"Wait, what?" Lancer blinked at her, worried that he'd heard her correctly.

Anna smiled up at him, reassuringly. "Don't worry, Jonathon. Reynolds offered to do the speech. Like I said, it wasn't really all that important."

"The mayor? I thought Senator Kenneth was going to provide the speech."

"So did we." Anna shrugged. "It seems the senator called to cancel at the last minute, and the mayor called her over soon after to set up a last minute speech. Coincidence, huh?" The woman nodded to herself, oblivious to her friend's growing horror. "The man's a gajillionaire. So, of course the principal said yes." Anna laughed but Lancer could feel his heart picking up its pace.

"You should've seen his body guards," the woman continued. "They were pale as ghosts and, trust me, _just_ as scary-looking. They didn't even do their job right. I heard they bailed as soon as the mayor began his speech. You'd think someone with that much money could afford better employees."

"They..." Lancer swallowed, unable to finish his sentence.

"John, are you okay?" Anna queried, finally taking notice of his change in character.

"I'll be back," Lancer called over his shoulder as he took off running.

"Lancer?" The woman queried behind him.

But there was no time to offer excuses or explanations.

He had to find Danielle and warn her.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Danielle jogged, keeping as quiet as she could.

The janitor's closet was, if she remembered correctly, near the back of the school, a good distance away from the gymnasium.

It was a good meeting place. There was less of a chance for a staff member to catch her sneaking around.

Not that she had any reason to fear getting caught. After all, Lancer assured her that there would be no teachers wandering the halls during the assembly.

Plus, Sam and Tucker were patrolling the building to keep an eye out for the security guard.

Worst case scenario, she had invisibility at her disposal.

Danielle was still a couple halls away from the intended meeting place when she saw him.

For a moment, she was so stunned she jerked to an abrupt stop, her legs unable to move forward.

Danny slowed down his own pace the moment his gaze found hers. He was equally as stunned to see her.

And then a huge smile broke across his face. His blue eyes twinkled brilliantly with joy.

In a flash, Danny was by her, swooping her up into his arms and spinning her around.

Danielle, in turn, tossed her arms around Danny, clinging tightly to him.

She felt her chest squeeze tightly with emotion.

"Danielle," Danny cheered happily. "My god! I missed you so much! I was so worried about you!"

"I missed you, too, Danny." Danielle laughed, pulling away from him.

"Where have you been? What have you been up to?" Danny demanded excitedly.

"I-" Dani paused. So much had happened over the course of her absence, and there was so much she wanted to say. She didn't know where begin or how to explain.

Unfortunately, her mouth did all the talking, rambling, before her brain could come up with a better method for relaying her recent experiences.

"Well, you know, I wanted to travel the world but I didn't like it very much, so I went to the Ghost Zone. I ran into Frostbite and he taught me about my ghost powers and stuff, then told me that I should look for you so you could talk to me about my human side and puberty."

"Wait, _what?_" Danny blinked, a look of dread on his face.

"So I came back to look for you but Vlad caught me before I got to your house. He ran some tests and did this weird experiment on me that de-stabilized my powers."

"_What?_" Danny echoed, his voice taking on a different tone.

Danielle continued prattling on. She wanted Danny to hear everything and know everything. She couldn't pause or wait for him to process the information.

Everything that had been laying heavily on her chest came pouring out in a single breath. "I escaped before he could do anything else to me, but he chased me down and attacked me, and then I passed out. Mr. Lancer found me and took me into his home. I stayed there the whole weekend and then he brought me here to the school to help me find someone to help me find you."

"Wait, what?" Danny repeated, as confused as he was incredulous. "Mr. Lancer?"

Danielle nodded. "He found out I was half-ghost-half-human, and he figured out Vlad—well, Vlad Masters—was the one who was hunting me down because he ran into us at the mall and tried to kidnap me-"

"You went to the mall?" Danny interrupted. He rubbed his temples. "He tried to kidnap you?"

"It's a long story," Dani explained.

She paused. Danny seemed overwhelmed and befuddled.

She sighed. "The point is that Lancer saved me from Vlad. Mr. Lancer…he doesn't know _anything_ else except that Vlad is looking for me and that _I__'__m_ looking for _you_." She paused. "I mean, the Danny Phantom you, not the Danny Fenton you."

Danny frowned. "You said your powers were de-stabilized?"

"Well," Dani began. "They were. But I think I'm fine now. I guess his experiment's effects didn't last very long. I can control my powers now, but I've been staying in human form to save my energy." She paused, adding. "And, you know, to blend in with the rest of the humans."

"Okay?" Danny began, concernedly. He sighed and took her hand in his. His concerned eyes looked deeply into hers. "Danielle, I want to take you home, so my mom can take a look at you and make sure you're okay."

"Your mom?" Dani blinked. "I thought I couldn't meet her. Won't she find out about you?"

"No." Danny smiled. "She knows."

"She knows you're Danny Phantom?"

"Yeah." He nodded, gently squeezing her hand. "But we gotta hurry. My clone is dying, and mom thinks the cure might still be in your blood."

"Whoa, whoa whoa!" Danielle yanked her hand back. "You have another clone?"

A flurry of emotions struck her. Dismay, shock, disbelief.

Hope.

There was another clone—someone just like her—and a clone who was under Danny's protection, no less.

Could that mean the other clone was a friend and not a foe?

Was the clone a boy? A girl?

Was this good news? Or bad news?

Danny must've noticed the question in her eyes. He sighed and reached for her hand again. "Look. Whether or not you help my clone is up to you. There's a lot going on, but we can catch up on the way home. I can-"

A sudden white mist that erupted from both their mouths cut Danny off.

"What the-" Danny blinked, confused.

"Danielle!" Danny and Dani's gaze snapped to the person running towards.

"Mr. Lancer?" Danny and Dani queried simultaneously.

Sure enough, it was the older teacher.

He put his hands on his knees, stopping just a few short feet away from them, pausing for a moment to catch his breath before finally looking up at the pair.

The three stood there for a long time, each too stunned to speak.

Lancer's shout was the first reaction. "What in the _Mirror Image_'s name is going on here?"

"Mr. Lancer! What are you doing here?" Danielle demanded.

"Oh!" The man snapped out of his stupor. The words hurriedly flew out of his mouth. "Danielle, Mayor Masters is here. And I think it's no coincidence that he came here to the school shortly after our run-in with him. I have reason to believe that he brought ghosts to the school and ordered them to go after you while he's giving his speech! I told him you were a student of mine. He must've assumed you'd be here today."

No sooner had the teacher managed to deliver his message than a green glow was cast over the hall.

Three hulking green ghosts appeared at each end of the hallway.

They were humanoid with big bodies, matching haircuts, and faces bedecked with scars.

"Lancer!" Danny turned and barked orders at Lancer. "Tell all the students to evacuate or to get some place safe. Find Sam and Tucker and tell them to call my parents. We're gonna need back up."

"I'm not leaving you two here!" Lancer shouted, defiantly.

Two rings appeared at Danny's middle. They split apart and travelled across his body to transform his appearance. "Go!" Danny shouted, turning his back to Lancer to face their enemies. Two globes of glowing green energy appeared around Danny's fists.

Danielle mirrored Danny's actions, the spark of ectoplasmic energy expanding through her body.

"We can handle ourselves," Danielle added, briefly glancing back at the educator.

Lancer hesitated, clearly reluctant to leave, but he nodded and took off running in the opposite direction.

Danielle turned and conjured up her ecto energy.

She grit her teeth and shoved down the fear that crawled through her, focusing instead on the present battle.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Ishiyama and Lancer agreed to transfer the rest of the undergraduates to the gymnasium to join the seniors. There were plenty of exits in the area and it was far enough away from the fight that the students wouldn't be vulnerable to any immediate danger and still far enough away to remain safe, if only for a few moments longer.

It took some convincing, but Ishiyama agreed to continue on with the school day, so as to not worry the students or faculty.

After all, the only targets, Lancer was certain, were the two Phantoms who were currently locked in battle.

Lancer promised Ishiyama to call for help, and he believed he was doing just that as he sought out Daniel's two friends.

Daniel had ordered him to find Sam and Tucker to call the older Fentons, but the two younger teenagers were nowhere to be found.

Lancer's head was buzzing with a million questions, but he managed to push them aside and save them for later.

Just before he rounded the corner, an ectoblast shot out, nearly singing him.

Lancer skidded to a sudden stop then dropped to his knees.

He carefully craned his head around a locker and looked into the next hallway, careful to remain out of sight.

Danielle and Daniel were no longer battling the same three bulky ghosts that Lancer had left them with.

Rather, the two were standing at a distance from a frightening-looking ghost that very much resembled a vampire.

The kids were covered from head to toe in cuts and bruises. Danielle's sleeve had burned off. Her arm had a third-degree burn on it.

"Face it, children." The man laughed. His cheek was red and part of his suit was torn but, otherwise, he looked relatively unharmed. He kicked away a Thermos that rested at his feet. "You're no match for me." Glowing red eyes narrowed on Danny.

"Daniel, my boy. Your persistence is admirable but, you see, it is Danielle is the one that I need. After the loss of the last clone, she is the only one left, and, therefore, rather important to me. I'm sorry to have to cut our meeting short but-"

He pulled out a device from his pocket and pushed a button.

Lancer's jaw dropped.

The sound—a loud wail that echoed through the halls—was certainly far from pleasant.

The scream was high-pitched and earpiercing; however, it seemed to affect the eerily identical Phantoms in a much different way.

Their reaction to the sound terrified Lancer.

Both children dropped to their knees, hands flying to their ears.

"What is that?" Danielle cried out, though her male opposite was incapable of responding.

The sound seemed to grow louder.

Danielle crumpled to the ground first, unconscious.

The vampiric creature sauntered over to the two ghosts on the ground.

Lancer rose to his feet, frantically trying to conjure up some way to help.

Before he could, a brilliant green ray shot out from Danny's two hands.

The blast sent the older ghost flying past Lancer and into a trophy case.

The glass shattered upon impact and the ghost fell into a heap, body half hanging out of the case.

Dark rings shot out from the man's waist and transformed him.

There was no further movement from the ghost.

Lancer immediately jumped out from his spot and ran to the pair of hybrids.

Danny swayed, unsteady on his feet.

Lancer caught him before he could hit the ground.

To his horror, Lancer caught sight of blood trickling out of the boy's ears, gliding down to his neck.

"The noise..." Danny managed to utter out.

Lancer needed no other explanation.

He ran over to the ghost—pausing when he saw the body of a familiar billionaire laying beneath a stack of academic trophies.

Lancer pushed his shock away and crushed the device that had fallen to the ground.

The horrendous screaming instantly ceased.

The man hooked an arm around Danielle's torso and looped Daniel's arm around his shoulder.

He hoped the mayor, or ghost whatever it was to begin with, didn't have another device in hand. Likely the evil hybrid wouldn't waste any time in activating another one when he woke up.

Lancer moved as fast as he could, stumbling towards the one place he hoped another device—if it did indeed exist—wouldn't affect them: the choir room.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

The migraine was pounding in Danny's skull. His brain felt as though it was going to explode from the pressure.

"Sam, Tucker..." Danny blinked, struggling to chase away the black spots that jumped into his line of vision.

"I couldn't find them," Lancer informed him.

Danny pulled away from Lancer's support and, with trembling hands reached, into his pockets and pulled out his phone.

He handed it to Lancer. "Call my parents," he muttered, weakly.

The black quickly consumed his vision. He felt the world teeter.

Something cold and hard slammed against his side.

Lancer's frightened shout of fear was the last thing he heard before unconsciousness reigned. "Daniel!"

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

The feeling of touch was the first sense the clone registered as he slowly ascended to consciousness.

He could feel the outline of the oxygen mask against his face and the weight of a blanket draped over him.

There was an uncomfortable pressure in his chest that was accompanied by an and an unpleasant buzz humming through his body.

Noises soon broke through the silence. At first, the sounds were faint and muffled, but, slowly, they became more distinct until, at last, they were clear and audible.

He heard his own pained groan as each of the sensations intensified.

He pried open his eyes. Light filtered in, momentarily blinding him.

The light took on colors that soon became blurred images that quickly took on recognizable shapes.

He was in the lab.

His vision cleared enough for him to recognize the face hovering over him—Maddie's face.

The woman's clear eyes gazed at him with concern. The indigo eyes briefly moved away from him as she shouted to another presence in the room.

"Jack! He's awake." Her voice resonated with what he couldn't believe was genuine relief and joy .When she looked back down to him, he was met with more concern. "Sweetheart, are you okay?"

He blinked. He was surprised and not just because he'd never been called by such a term of endearment, but because he knew the woman reserved "sweetheart" for only the people closest to her in her life.

He'd overheard enough of her conversations and phone calls to recognize that.

The boy summoned some of his feeble strength to look up at the man standing behind a computer positioned a little aways from him.

Jack Fenton.

The boy grimaced at the sight of the man.

The last time he'd seen Jack Fenton the man had wanted to apologize for all his past behavior.

David hadn't responded with a straightforward answer, but had made it clear that he wasn't going to forgive the Fenton patriarch.

He jerked his gaze away from Jack and looked upon the kindhearted woman who'd been caring for him the last couple weeks.

The clone sat up and reached for the mask on his face.

"Oh, no. Don't do that." Maddie stopped him from taking it off, sandwiching his hands between hers. "It's pumping you with a vaporized variant of the original Ecto-Dejecto. It's giving you some strength to fight off the de-stabilization."

The clone looked at her hands, which still held his, and blinked up at her. She reluctantly pulled her hands away. "You gave us all quite a scare."

"Wh-" He breathed. His voice sounded slightly muffled by the oxygen mask. "What happened?"

"You had an episode." Maddie informed him. She took on a tone of solemnity, hoping to convey the severity of the truth to him. "A side effect from all the chemicals Vlad gave you. If you have another one, there's a chance you may not survive. You need to rest and relax, okay? You get even a little it worked up, you may not make it through the night." Maddie's eyes revealed her fear. "Do you understand?"

The clone nodded slowly. He understood. He was running out of time and his days of semi-living were rapidly coming to an end.

He looked up at her, his voice betraying foolish hope. "D-Danny. He said his friend found his other clone."

"You mean Danielle?" Maddie blinked. "Yeah. He found her. If he brings her back in time, we can take a sample of her blood and isolate the ecto-dejecto syrum that's in her system and figure out how to recreate it. There's a chance that you'll survive just long enough for us to re-make it but only, _only _if you stay here. No powers, no emotional outbursts, just rest." The woman placed a hand on his shoulder.

He looked into her kind, maternal eyes.

"Okay." She smiled at him. "Go back to sleep. The more you sleep, the better off we'll be."

The clone nodded and carefully lay back down. The exhaustion was still weighing on him, and a few hours of shut eye definitely sounded inviting.

A buzzing sound caused him to stop and look up at the mother.

She blinked and looked down at her phone.

"It's Danny," she told Jack, then answered.

"Hello? Danny?" She paused, eyes widening in surprise. "Mr. Lancer? What are you-"

She blinked, stopped, and listened.

"Danielle? What-? Is she-?"

Another pause.

Maddie's face took on an expression of horror. "_Vlad_?"

The clone winced at the name.

"Are they okay?"

Maddie seemed to almost physically crumple. Whatever the response had been was not a good one. Her eyes welled with tears. "Okay. Okay. We'll be right there."

Jack looked at her with equal dismay. "Maddie, what's wrong?"

She pushed her phone back into her pocket. "Jack! The kids are at the school, and they're being attacked."

The clone's heart picked up speed.

"I'll go," Jack nodded, already making a beeline for the door. "You stay with our patient."

Maddie turned to the clone and started when she noticed him rising from their makeshift hospital bed.

"Hey! What are you doing?" She demanded.

"I'm going to help," he responded, simply.

"But you won't make it!" She cried out.

"Listen to Maddie," Jack warned.

"No, you listen," the clone began, addressing them both. "I spoke to your daughter, and she talked to me about a lot of things."

He quickly ripped the mask off, slowly backing away from the woman. He explained, although he doubted she understood what he was talking about.

"I've decided this is who I want to be." He grit his teeth. "At least I know I'll have done_ some_thing before I died."

H felt the ground pull away from him.

Maddie made an attempt to grab at his ankle, but he pulled away.

This time, when he spoke, he spoke to her.

"I don't know if I'll see you again, so I want to thank you for showing me what it means to have family."

The woman froze, dumbstruck.

He was gone before she had a chance to recover.

**A.N: Many thanks to everyone for your patience! Let me know what you think. I will have the next chapters posted in about a week or two.**

**~nycorrall**


	14. Chapter 13 Allied

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

13\. Allied

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Lancer stared fixedly at the door. They had been in the choir room for all of ten minutes and the mayor's burly ghosts had yet to come barging in.

Still, Lancer was on edge. He was locked in a room with two hybrid children, both of whom were utterly incapacitated at the moment and incapable of providing any sort of protection should a situation arise.

He glanced at the clock for the hundredth time.

In his frenzy, he hadn't thought to tell the Fenton parents where in the building they were. He'd tried calling them back but there had been no answer. They were probably already on their way.

Something light brushed against his shoulder, startling the man out of his musings.

He yelped and turned to look at the young child who'd touched his shoulder.

Danielle, who'd only just awakened, swiveled her round eyes toward Lancer.

She rubbed her temple then moved to kneel over the unconscious teenage boy whom Lancer assumed to be a cousin, since he knew Jazz was his only other sibling.

"Is he okay?" Danielle asked without taking her eyes off Daniel.

Lancer genuinely had no idea. He'd seen the blow the boy had taken in protecting them. The injury seemed pretty bad, but, although Lancer couldn't even fathom how it was at all possible, the boy, like Danielle, was half-ghost, which probably meant he could withstand more pain than the average human, so Lancer wasn't sure what the extent of the damage was.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Lancer replied, uncertainly.

"Danny?" She whispered, gently nudging him.

Lancer moved to stop her, but the boy instantly woke with a start.

Danny blinked, sat up, and groaned from the abrupt movement. "_Agh_!"

Danielle flinched in response. "Are you okay?"

Lancer stared at Daniel.

How had he not known? That boy that had been sitting in his classroom, the boy he'd known for years, had secretly been the ghostly guardian of Amity Park.

Half-phantom, half-human, just like Danielle.

The discovery revealed to Lancer the reasoning behind the boys' unusual behavior, like the constant absences, the frequent tardies, those exorbitantly long bathroom breaks, and the sudden academic plummet.

The boy in question looked up at the educator with weariness and cynicism in his blue eyes.

"Your parents are on their way," Lancer explained. "But I never got a chance to tell them where we were."

Danny glanced around, finally taking in their surroundings. "The choir room?"

Lancer shrugged. "I figured if Mayor Masters had another one of those sound devices, it wouldn't affect you in here. The room is sound proof."

"We should go," Danny grunted as he got on his feet. "We can't sit around here and wait for the ghosts or my parents to find us." He looked at Danielle. "The sooner we can get you to my mom, the better."

'My mom.'

The words only confirmed that the two were not siblings, despite their unusual likeness in appearance.

Danny rose to his feet. Lancer noticed the boy's hand pressing against his rib. The observation worried him.

"But that noise," Danielle began. Her eyes clouded over with fear and hesitancy.

"I took care of it," Lancer replied, forcing his gaze to Danielle. "I got rid of it while you guys were out, and I can help you if the mayor has any spares."

"Really?" Danny blinked at Lancer. "Thanks."

Lancer shrugged. "I may not be a brave warrior like you two, but I will do what I can to help."

Danny nodded. "Okay. Let's-"

The wall behind them exploded suddenly, sending the trio sprawling to the floor.

Their moment of safety had been painfully short-lived.

Lancer raised his head and looked back at the ghosts that had finally made their way inside.

There was a flash of light and, before Lancer could react, he was suddenly airborne, a pair of hands hooked under his armpit and pulling him up and away from the danger.

Danny shouted as he flew them out of the room. "Hang on, Mr. Lancer!" He glanced down briefly, giving Lancer a glimpse of silver hair and glowing green irises.

Danielle flew at their side, her own pair of glowing eyes constantly tossing Danny and Lancer frightened looks.

The pair dodged ecto blasts as they flew. Danielle, their only line of defense, shot back at their adversaries, covering Danny and Lancer.

"Danielle," Danny shouted over his shoulder. "Keep them busy!"

Danielle gave a curt nod and immediately fell behind.

Lancer blinked.

Danny slowed as he rounded a corner, stopping in front of the janitor's closet, before phasing through the door. The intangibility sent chills crawling through Lancer.

The boy dropped him, and the man fell unceremoniously to the ground.

"Sorry, Mr. Lancer." Danny began, breathlessly. "I know we owe you an explanation but, for now, we need you safe. Don't bother trying to get out."

"Daniel, wait!" Lancer called, but the boy was gone, swift and silent like a ghost.

Lancer tried the doorknob and sighed.

He'd been locked in that very same closet enough times to recognize the futility of his escape attempts.

There was nothing he could do but wait.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Danny shot a flurry of ecto balls at the ghost as he approached the battle scene.

Danielle had been playing a game of chase and dodge with the ghosts, temporarily distracting them.

Of the six that had attacked, four remained.

Danny managed to divert the attention of two of the ghosts away from Danielle by engaging in combat.

His ecto blasts successfully struck one square in the chest.

Danielle successfully brought another one down.

The entities dissolved into a pile of goop on the floor.

Danny grit his teeth.

Two to go. Or, at least, he hoped there were only two. If Vlad's injuries hadn't rendered him incapable of returning to fight, then the remaining two lackeys were the least of their worries.

Recognizing their abrupt drop in numbers, the remaining ghosts moved faster and hit harder, acutely aware of the danger they were in.

The less there were, the stronger the survivors became.

The ghost raised its arms, hands glowing in preparation for an ecto blast.

Acting quickly, Danny curled his fist around the ghost's hands, stopping him from releasing the blasts.

Both he and his adversary were locked in a death grip that seemed impossible to escape intact.

Out of the corner of his eye, Danny caught sight of Danielle tumbling down to the ground in what appeared to be a near defeat.

Her opponent sauntered over to her, hands glowing dangerously.

"Dani!"

Danny swung his feet and used his momentum to throw his own adversary several feet away.

He scrambled towards Dani.

The ghost raised its palms.

For a terrible second, Danny thought he wouldn't make it in time.

And, then, a figure appeared in front of Danielle.

The new ally tossed himself over her in a protective pose, a green shield materializing over them.

Danny skid to an immediate stop.

His clone had arrived.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Danielle blinked up at the new arrival.

The resemblance to Danny was utterly astonishing. They had the same round face, the same thin lips, the same glowing green eyes, the same wire-y shape to their bodies.

They were the identical in every way except in two: the color of the hair, and the reversal of the colors in his jumpsuit, which created an interesting contrast to Danny.

The clone's grayish locks swept over his weary gaze.

His smile was Danny's smile—wide and genuine.

"You must be Danielle," he managed between heavy breaths. He was still struggling to hold up their shield.

Danielle blinked but responded. "You're a clone, like me."

She couldn't believe it. She'd only just learned of his existence, and now here he was, making what she thought was a fantasy into a reality.

"Please," his smile widened. "Call me David."

Danielle returned his grin.

The clone dropped the shield and glanced up as their adversary moved away from them, his attention pulled to Danny.

"Um," Danny called out, barely dodging a blast from the ghost. "A little help, please?"

David and Danielle straightened up, fists glowing.

Danielle couldn't believe her luck.

There was another clone, just like her, and he was exactly like Danny with that glowing determination in his eyes and a surreptitious kindness that lingered in his smile.

The two older Phantom boys positioned themselves in front of her.

Their two remaining adversaries stalked forward.

The odds had suddenly tipped in the Phantoms' favor.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

It hadn't been a very long time before Lancer finally heard voices on the other end of the door.

At first they sounded distant, but he could tell as the sounds grew louder that, whoever they were, they were moving fast and in his direction.

Lancer pounded on the door, making as much of a ruckus as he possibly could. "Hey! Hey! Help!"

A female voice on the other side spoke. "Mr. Lancer?"

Jonathon blinked in response, instantly recognizing the person. "Mrs. Fenton?"

The voice of a familiar young teenager spoke next. "What the hell is Mr. Lancer doing in there? Again?"

Maddie spoke again. "Jack, the handle."

Jack's voice. "Don't worry. I got it."

There was the sound of clanging on the other side and then a shattering sound.

The door burst open and Lancer gratefully stepped out.

He looked at the group before him in surprise.

"Ms. Manson? Mr. Foley?"

The teens in question looked terrible.

Sam had a long cut stretching from her forehead across her eyebrow to her left cheek. Tucker's shirt was torn and covered in green stains.

Both held what Lancer recognized as small ecto weapons.

The Fenton parents, on the other hand, were completely free of any visible injuries and had larger weapons that were significantly more daunting than the the ones in the hands of the children.

"Mr. Lancer," Maddie began. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. But the kids..."

He looked at his two other students in question.

"Vlad sent some ghosts after us," Sam explained. "I'm guessing he sent the rest of his little posse to Danny and Danielle."

"Lancer," Maddie began, "take these kids back with the rest of the student body."

"What?" Sam blinked incredulous. "No way! We're going with Danny. We want to help him."

Maddie frowned. "But-"

"We're wasting time arguing." Tucker pointed out.

Maddie sighed. "Not now. If you want to see Danny, you two can meet us at our house. _After _school."

"But-" Sam opened her mouth to protest, but Lancer interrupted her before she could.

"I need to go tell Ishiyama to have the children evacuated. The school isn't safe, and we don't know where the mayor is or in what condition." Lancer paused and pointed down another hall. "Before I go, I should tell you I last saw Danielle head that way. I'm guessing young Daniel went to her aid."

"Thank you, Lancer." Jack placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "We'll take it from here, Lancer."

"You two stay with Lancer and keep the other students safe." Maddie nodded at the teenagers and swung her deadly looking bazooka over her shoulder.

Jack nodded. "Let's go."

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

The last ghost dissolved into a puddle of goop before it even hit the ground, and it took the three of them united to bring it down.

Danny turned to look at his two clones.

Green-and-red-speckled ectoplasm speckled dripped across Danielle's cheek from a small cut beneath her eye.

Her loosened hair was completely disheveled and the sleeve of her arm was torn. Her left glove was barely hanging on to her hand.

Still, despite the mess they were in, she managed a wide grin.

"We did it!" She cheered.

Danny looked at his other duplicate.

The clone looked worse than them all, even though he hadn't received nearly as many injuries as the other two hybrids.

His skin had lost all color, and small, nearly imperceptible fresh droplets of blood emerged from cracks on his pasty, dry lips pasty. Dull gray hair clung to his face, wet from the sweat that drenched his trembling body.

The clone's breathing quickened, raising alarms in Danny's head.

And then the clone dropped.

"Oh, my god!" Danielle shouted. Both Phantoms dropped to the ground beside him.

Before he could even think up a plan, Danny's attention snapped up to the sound of someone calling his name.

A surge of relief coursed through him in spite of his fear. "Mom! Dad!"

The pair quickly made their way to him.

"We need to take him to the lab." Maddie worriedly bit her lip as her fingers pressed against the clone's neck, feeling for a pulse. "Immediately."

"I'll take him," Danny picked the clone up and swung him over his shoulder. The young man was incredibly light.

"Danielle," Danny ordered, "you can carry my mom.."

"I'll take the GAV," Jack nodded, agreeing.

"Is David gonna be okay?" Danielle queried.

The question snapped the Fentons' attention to Danielle.

The arguably youngest clone fidgeted under their stare.

"What did you call him?" Maddie demanded.

"David. He said his name was David." Danielle hesitated. "Is that not right?"

"Jazz advised him to choose a name for himself," Danny realized aloud.

Maddie smiled a sad smile.

Danny understood immediately.

Danny himself had been named after Maddie's father, Daniel, who'd passed away a long time ago.

Soon after her father's death, Maddie's mother began drinking heavily, so she and her sister had been taken in by their uncle.

The uncle, the man Maddie considered her pseudo-father and the man Danny called a grandfather, was named David.

It seemed, Danny realized with a start, that the clone had developed a profound bond with his own caring mother.

"David," Maddie nodded, tears glimmering in her eyes. "I like it."

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

**A/N: I know, I know. Last month, I had assured you all that this chapter would be posted within two weeks after the previous had been posted. Clearly, it's been more than two weeks. I'm sorry for (1) not updating sooner and (2) giving false hope.**

**I make no promises except that I will _try _to remember to post the next chapter soon.**

**Anyways, as usual, all feedback-positive or negative, constructive or encouraging-is always accepted and appreciated.**


	15. Chapter 14: Closure

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

13\. Closure

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

The eraser glided smoothly across the board, wiping away the words he'd scribbled across its surface.

Jonathon Lancer glanced at the clock.

4:29 pm.

The man set the eraser down, gathered his things, and walked out, making a brief stop at his office to pick up his car keys.

The students had already left about an hour prior, leaving the entire school completely empty.

The sun's warmth greeted him as he walked outside.

The weatherman had predicted agreeable weather for the next few days, and Lancer genuinely hoped it would stay that way.

His decrepit car was one of the last few in the parking lot.

He opened it, tossed his things inside, and stuck his keys into the ignition.

This time, it only took two tries before the car rumbled to life.

He pulled out and entered the highway.

The radio's smooth jazz station remained on low volume, allowing for a calm drive down the street.

The bustling city was heavy with traffic, so it took him a while longer than expected before he finally arrived at the quaint housing development.

Lancer looked at the address scrawled on the paper and looked up.

He wondered how he would find his destination when every house looked exactly the same as the other, most of them missing their numbers.

It wasn't until he saw the large, ostentatious 'FentonWorks' sign protruding from the roof of one of the houses that he realized, unsurprisingly, he didn't actually need the house's number.

He drove into a parking space and stepped out.

He paused, looking up at the anomaly of a house.

It had already been three days since he'd last seen Danny and Danielle.

Daniel hadn't shown up at school, and he hadn't heard from Danielle since that fight he'd witnessed at the school. Although Lancer never pressed the children for information, he knew Manson and Foley would faithfully refuse to divulge any information about the Fentons.

Finally, just that morning, he'd received the phone call from Jack Fenton, asking for him to meet up with them at their house.

Anxiety had troubled him upon the request. Surely, the educator would be viewed as a threat by the Fenton family. He didn't know what reaction to expect from the infamous ghost hunters, and they'd had more than enough time to think about how to approach the teacher—no, the outsider who'd discovered the secrets that only a select few were privy to. On the other hand, the curiosity that bubbled up within him made him eagerly anticipate the unusual conference, and he clung to the hope that he'd get to reunite with his former hybrid house guest.

Lancer squared his shoulders. His ambivalent feelings offered no assistance, and the fact of the matter was that there was no way to avoid this moment.

He trotted up the steps and tapped on the door.

A few short moments passed before the door swung open.

Maddie was the one to answer. The woman wore a light yellow sundress, flip-flops on her feet, and a wide welcoming smile on her face.

The sweet smell of chocolate wafted from within their household, tantalizing Lancer's stomach.

The sight of Maddie made him relax a bit more, and took away some of the uneasiness he'd felt.

"Mr. Lancer," she smiled and shook his extended hand. "Good to see you again. Come in, come in!"

The woman ushered him inside, closing the door behind him. "We're in the kitchen."

She paused to look at him. An uncomfortable silence passed between them. Lancer wasn't sure what the woman was thinking, but Maddie smiled again before he could dwell on the observation. "Jazz made us some brownies. She and her brother went out to get some pizza."

Lancer followed her into the dining area where they found Jack sitting at the table, hands folded in front of him, resting against the smooth marble.

The man looked unusually serious.

"I understand we're here to talk about your children?" Lancer queried.

"Yes, sir." Maddie pulled up a chair and motioned for Lancer to sit.

"Where are the children now?" Lancer inquisitively glanced up the stairs, wondering if he'd see the young Fenton children and hoping he'd see Danielle.

"Danielle is still sleeping," Maddie explained. "Danny and Jazz are out buying some stuff to make Danielle feel more at home."

Lancer was disappointed, but he didn't let it show, choosing instead to focus on the matter at hand.

"So, where to begin?" Lancer set his messenger bag on the floor and settled into the seat across from Jack.

He was eager to get the conversation going.

Questions had been bouncing around his head for the last few days, and his curiosity had practically been eating him alive.

Jack finally spoke. "Truth be told, we weren't sure what to tell you about all of this, but Daniel and Danielle both seem to trust you and we trust them." The man turned to look at his wife as she took a seat beside him. "We figured the best place to start would be at the beginning."

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

And they did begin at their very beginning: college.

Their theories, their experiments, their failures. Losing their funds, losing their lab, and bringing their work home.

They continued recounting their history by vaguely mentioning a lab accident involving Danny that occurred a year later, which was followed by the secrecy from their children that ended with the parents' discovery of Danny's secret.

Lancer quietly listened from beginning to end.

It was all so difficult to grasp. Human-ghost hybrids, clones, and the power-mad mayor who'd taken it upon himself to become the antagonist of their outrageous lives.

"Mr. Lancer," Maddie bit her lip. Jack Fenton's hand fell over hers.

"Jack and I understand that we have failed as parents. Our jobs and our obsessions had us blind and oblivious to everything that was going on around us."

Lancer blinked, struck by an unexpected epiphany.

"But we're trying our hardest to be better. We're trying-"

"Excuse me, Mrs. Fenton," Lancer cut in, gently. "Are you...do you think I'm going to call child services on you?"

"Well," the Fentons glanced at each other. Maddie sighed and rubbed her cheek. "You would have every reason to."

Lancer straightened up in his chair.

It was his turn to speak.

"You're right. I do have reason to call child services." He paused, then quickly added, "But I won't."

Lancer allowed them a moment for the news to sink in. The couple heaved heavy sighs of relief.

"It seems to me like you have been trying to be better involved in your children's lives, and succeeding. I see you two often in parent-teacher conferences. Daniel's attendance and grades have improved impressively, so it look's like he will graduate with at least average grades. He's more alert, better focused, less burdened and—overall—happier and lighter, as a young man of his age should be.

"The accident, in my opinion, was just that. An accident." Lancer closed his eyes for the briefest of moments, feeling a melancholic nostalgia sweep through him. "It was just an accident."

He breathed, opening his eyes and pulling himself away from that terrible memory that had resurfaced unexpectedly. "I know what it is to feel like a failure as a parent, and so I don't' believe calling child services is at all necessary."

"Oh, thank you," Jack breathed. A brilliant grin lit his face.

"However," Lancer warned. "If Danny's...secret is ever revealed to the world, there will be legal repercussions, amongst many other things, regardless of whether or not he is of age."

"We know," Jack admitted.

"We've all given this a lot of thought." Maddie agreed.

"I hope I don't sound offensive in asking," Lancer hesitated, wondering if he should even be asking. "What would you have done had I not agreed to maintaining the childrens' abilities a secret?"

"I'm glad you asked," Maddie smiled somewhat darkly.

Jack patted his wife's hand. The couples' eyes momentarily met.

"Well," Maddie's lips quirked downward into a slight frown. "We have a few options. The primary one consisted of reaching into your mind and blocking memories."

Lancer swallowed. Again, instinct told him not to utter another word but his curiosity won out again. "And how would you have gone about doing that?"

"Never mind that, Lancer." Maddie waved her hand dismissively. "We trust you."

"Mostly," Jack added, his eyes revealing some unease about the situation.

"There is something else we've been meaning to discuss." Maddie began, capturing Jack's attention.

The Fenton man sighed heavily. "We've been a little concerned about Danny's grades." Maddie nodded in agreement. "Danny has made it explicitly clear that he is under no circumstances willing to stop ghost hunting-"

"Stubborn as a Fenton," Jack cut in, beaming proudly.

"So we've been wanting to try something new with Danny." Maddie continued. "In hopes that we can find some balance to his chaotic life. Although he seems to have gotten a better handle of things on his own."

"That would explain his academic improvement," Lancer remarked.

Jack cleared his throat. "We understand he's improved a little bit, but we believe he can do better. And we know there will be times when his…uh," he paused, "extracurricular activities will cut into his school time."

Lancer smiled, already prepared with a solution. "I've already begun working on an in-school schedule for him, and I will be more than happy to take care of any problems that may arise in the future, especially in terms of absences and tardiness."

"You see, Mr. Lancer," Maddie continued. "Danny has always struggled with school, even _before_ he received his...abilities, and we know how much he's struggling right now." She paused. "Since the ghost activities in Amity have spiked, we've been selling a lot of our technology, and we officially have enough money to, perhaps, pay you, if you're willing."

Jack finished her thought for her. "We were wondering if you would be open to being hired as a private tutor."

"Oh?" Lancer blinked, surprised.

"We know you have a Bachelors in History and Journalism, and a Masters in Literature and Humanities, and you also teach math and science," Jack informed him.

Maddie smiled in agreement. "You're a smart man and a good teacher, and we believe you can help Danny _and_ Danielle reach their full potentials, especially now that you some of their secrets."

"Well," Lancer cleared his throat, taken aback by their request. "So you'll be enrolling Danielle in school, as well?"

Maddie hesitated. "That...we're not sure of."

"We want to make Danielle an official Fenton," Jack assured him.

Lancer felt his heart swell in excitement, but his joy was cut short as Jack continued. "But we keep running into problems. Biologically, Danielle _is_, technically, a Fenton."

"But," Maddie continued, "there is no record of her anywhere. She has no family, no history, nothing."

"And we hate the idea of having to hide her away from the rest of the world," Jack added. "We're still trying to figure out how to make her legally ours, so we can offer her choices and a future."

"But we have no idea where to begin," Jack admitted. "And the same goes for David." Jack paused. "If he survives, and if he chooses to remain with us."

Lancer paused, suddenly pensive. "My sister-in-law's fiancé is a lawyer with connections. I don't want to get your hopes up, but he may be able to help in your situation. I don't know if he could or if he'd be willing, but I can ask. He's a good, law-abiding man and the process might be complicated if not impossible, especially with out inability to divulge certain aspects of this unusual situaion, but we'll see what we can do."

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Danielle had been awakened from her nap by the muffled sounds of chatter coming from downstairs. She tossed aside her blankets and paused, wondering how she'd gotten from the living room couch to her bed. Likely Danny had taken her. She vaguely remembered having falling asleep against his arm while waiting for her turn on the game Doomsday 5.0.

The girl stepped out and into the hall, pausing briefly to peer into Danny's and Jazz's empty room, then turning to follow the smell of edible food down the stairs.

She paused when she neared the living area, leaning over the rails to peer around the house.

The sound of the a news reporter talking drifted from the living room, but Danielle couldn't see if there was anyone in there.

She had a clearer view of the open kitchen from where she stood.

Maddie was wiping down the table counter with a white towelette. Half of her hair was pulled up into a ponytail. The rest of it stuck out at various angles, too short to be pulled back with the rest of the copper-red locks, the color of which Danielle had always admired.

A white apron was tied around her waist, protecting the yellow dress from the stains of cleaning.

Jack was sitting at the table across from the kitchen, intently reading a newspaper, chewing on what appeared to be the last brownie.

With the natural silence of a ghost, Danielle hopped off the last step, walking toward the kitchen. She froze when Maddie's indigo orbs immediately snapped to her.

"Danielle," Maddie smiled.

Danielle twisted a strand of hair around her finger as Jack turned to look at her.

This wasn't the first time she'd caught them staring, but it was definitely the first time they'd done so openly, and it was making her awfully uncomfortable.

She wasn't accustomed to being watched so intently. Not even Vlad had stared so much, he usually just scribbled notes on her physiology and mostly ignored her.

She finally had some free time with two of the only three people on Earth she'd always wanted as being a part of her life, and she had no idea what they were thinking as they stared at her.

"I'm sorry," Maddie apologized. "Your resemblance to Danny is-"

"Incredible," Jack finished with a grin.

It wasn't the first time they'd openly admired her resemblance to Danny.

Personally, Danielle didn't mind. She was flattered and honored to bear a resemblance and likeness to Danny

"Both of you look just like Jack did when he was young." Maddie smiled warmly, laying a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"And you're—what? Ten?"

"Technically, I'm two. But biologically I'm twelve," Danielle blushed.

Jack laughed. "You're like Jazz when she was twelve—teeny, tiny, and then she hit her growth spurt at sixteen. Us Fentons are late bloomers."

"Get that from _his_ side of the family," Maddie chuckled. "Certainly not mine."

Maddie put down her towelette and wiped her hand on her sweatpants. "Care to take a seat?" She gestured a hand towards the table. Jack eagerly pat the seat beside him.

Danielle approached.

She looked up at the man with the beaming blue eyes that had darkened significantly with age.

She had always seen Jack as a large man filled to the brim with enthusiasm.

That first day she'd been brought to the house she'd seen him as large, overpowering and daunting, especially with his overly eager smile.

She suspected he had been holding back some of that overwhelming enthusiasm for her sake, which made her feel slightly more at ease, and for that she was grateful. It was rapidly becoming easier for her to openly interact with the Fenton parents.

"So," Jack beamed. "We have a visitor joining us for dinner today." Jack's smile immediately returned. "It's-"

Before he could introduce their guest, a familiar man, wearing his traditional flannel shirt and khaki pants, emerged from the living area.

"Danielle!"

"Mr. Lancer!" The girl jumped over to give the man a hug. He returned it promptly. "What are you doing here?"

"I guess asking you to call me Jonathon is futile." Lancer chuckled warmly. "I'm here to see my best student."

Danielle furrowed her brows confusedly. "Student?"

"Well," Lancer began. "The Fentons have sort of hired me as a private tutor for you and Danny."

"What? Really?" Danielle turned to look at the Fenton parents. The pair was standing beside each other. Jack's hands were around Maddie's shoulder. "Does Danny know about this?"

"Yes." Maddie replied, smiling. "We told him about it while you were sleeping. We had intended on talking about it with you, too, but you'd fallen asleep and we figured we'd just wait to tell you"

"Speaking of," Jack added, "Danny was telling us that your favorite food is pizza."

Danielle felt hope swell up with hope.

"Especially the one from Penny Pepper's Pizzeria."

Danielle dared herself to speak. "Are you telling me you-"

The sound of the front door slamming open snatched everyone's attention.

"I'm back!" Jazz walked in through the front door, porting several bags filled to the brim with items Danielle couldn't see. She paused, smiling at the educator. "Hello, Mr. Lancer. Good to see you again"

Danny followed suit, balancing a precariously tall stack of pizzas in his arms.

"Jazzy-pants! Danny-boy!" Jack vivaciously greeted.

"Let me help you with that." Lancer moved to take some of the burden from the Fenton children.

"Thanks," Danny smiled gratefully. "It's so weird seeing my teacher just hangin' out at home. Especially now that you know about…" Danny cleared his throat and broke eye contact. Lancer raised a brow.

"Now that you know what you know," Danny finished, chuckling awkwardly.

They set the boxes on the table, giving the young clone a glimpse at the brand of pizza.

"Penny Pepper's Pizza!" Danielle squealed excitedly. Her stomach was rumbling with hunger, and the smell of the cheese watered her mouth.

"We thought a small get together might make you feel more at home." Jazz set down the bags and flashed Danielle a brilliant smile.

Danielle genuinely liked Jazz. The girl was incredibly kind, extremely insightful, and easy to get along with.

"I know this has been a crazy week," Maddie began, looking at the youngest female clone.

"Everything's been happening so fast we haven't really had a chance to sit down and just be with you." Jack added, gently laying a hand on Danielle's shoulder.

"We just want you to know that, if you're willing, we'd like to-" Maddie trailed off, eyes watering.

"We want you to become an official Fenton," Jack finished.

Danielle was taken completely aback. She hadn't known these people for very long. They barely knew each other, and they had learned about her personal history, understood the risks they took in taking her into her home, and they still wanted her to be a part of their family.

She glanced over at Lancer who nodded encouragingly at her.

Danielle felt her own eyes water she she turned back to the Fenton parents.

Danny and Jazz were at their side, gazing at her with hopeful eyes.

"I'd love that," she sniffled.

And, then, she was enveloped in a pair of arms, each on holding her tight.

Their warmth was contagious; their joy magnified her own.

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Epilogue :

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Two weeks later

:~:~:~:~:~:~:

Except for the slow, rhythmic beeping that echoed through the room, everything had been silent. Habituation had made that steady beep fade into the background, so that it could be easily ignored.

But, although they weren't very loud, the new sounds were impossible to ignore.

Shuffling sounds indicated movement, like someone rummaging through drawers and whatever content resided within. This sound was then followed by the sound of cabinets opening and closing.

And then there were the footsteps, which seemed purposely quiet.

The dim light that managed to seep through his closed eyelids was occasionally dulled by a shadows that constantly flickered past.

He was tempted to simply ignore the person wandering around the room, ready to return to unconsciousness, but the heavy weight of sleep was momentarily forgotten by an unusual disturbance that blossomed from deep within him.

It began as a powerful release of unusual yet strangely pleasant cold blast of energy at his core that expanded across his body—simultaneously spreading from his core to his head and his core to his feet.

He opened his eyes just in time to catch a brief, blinding flash of light sweep across his vision.

The abrupt, cold sensation disappeared before he could figure out what it was and what it had done to him.

A noise of surprise brought his attention to the only other person in the room.

The woman was standing right by him, an unused IV bag squeezed precariously in her fist. Her free hand had fallen over her chest, and she stared at him with a look of utter shock.

He felt something…out of the norm, something different about him and within him; although, he wasn't entirely sure yet whether the change was something to he should be worried about.

He spoke, the inquisitive tone muffled by the oxygen mask pressed against his face. "Maddie?" He blinked up at her dazed and befuddled face.

Slowly, her expression of surprise melted into that wide, warm smile that always made him feel like things could always get better. Her response caused a sense of calm to wash over him.

"David."

:~:~:~:~:~:~:~:

**A/N:**

**And the story is officially over! I had begun working on yet another sequel a couple months ago, but I haven't continued it.**

However, if there are still any willing readers and enough requests, I may continue working on the story.

**Let me know in your reviews!**

**As usual, any and all forms of criticism and feedback are always accepted and appreciated.**

**Many thanks to all of my readers and to everyone who followed the story!**

**:-)**

**With immense gratitude,**

**nycorrall**


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